Jalandhar2 hours ago
Former Punjab IPS Iqbal Singh Lalpura has been re-appointed as the chairman of the Minorities Commission by the Central Government. Iqbal Singh Lalpura had arrested Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale in 1981.
The Central Government has also published a notification in the Indian Gazette to make Iqbal Singh Lalpura, a resident of Ropar’s village Lalpura, the chairman of the National Commission for Minorities. Lalpura has been appointed for three years.
The first appointment was given in September 2021
In view of the 2022 assembly elections, the BJP government at the Center made Lalpura the chairman of the National Commission for Minorities in September 2021, playing the Sikh card. He resigned from the post due to Lalpura getting party ticket from Anandpur Sahib in the election. However, Lalpura lost the election as well. After this, the central government has given him the chairmanship of the commission again. The central government has given appointment to Lalpura to woo Sikh voters in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Lalpura meeting the Prime Minister after becoming the President.
There are five minorities in India
The Government of India has declared five communities of the country as minorities by issuing a notification in the Gazette. These include Sikhs, Christians, Buddhists, Muslims and Parsis. The Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the Minorities Commission are also made from these communities. Like last time, this time also Lalpura has been made the president from the Sikh community, which is two percent of the country’s population.
Bhindranwala had placed a demand for arrest
In 1981, the police was raiding from place to place to nab the separatist Jarnail Singh Bhindranwala. Bhindranwale put only one demand in front of the police that he would give arrest of his own will but only Amritdhari Sikh officer should be sent to arrest him. Punjab Police had formed a panel of three Sikh officers to arrest Jarnail Singh Bhindranwala. Amritdhari Sikh Iqbal Singh Lalpura was also included in this panel. Lalpura was posted as Inspector at that time. Two other officers included Jarnail Singh Chahal and the then SDM BS Bhullar. All three had arrested and interrogated Bhindranwala in 1981.
Iqbal Singh Lalpura has also been the investigating officer in the 1978 confrontation with the Nirankaris. Lalpura also played a big role in bringing gun-wielding youth into the mainstream during the era of terrorism. Lalpura started the journey from NGO rank till becoming IPS. He was also instrumental in bringing out the dead body of Jalandhar Range DIG AS Atwal, who died in Harmandir Sahib in 1983.