Slain singer Sidhu Moosewala's father Balkaur Singh, on Saturday clarified that he will not contest any elections and asked people not to pay heed to any rumor surrounding it. His statement came a day after Punjab Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring endorsed a suggestion of economist Sardara Singh Johl to get Balkaur elected unopposed from the Sangrur Lok Sabha seat.
Meanwhile, Moosewala's parents met Union Home Minister Amit Shah at Chandigarh airport on Saturday. After the meeting, Balkaur took to social media and said he gets hurt when he comes across various such talks circulating on social media. “Do not pay heed to them,” he asked people. “The pyre of my son is not yet doused. I have no intention to contest elections,” Balkaur said. Thanking people for sharing the grief with the family, he urged people to attend the 'bhog' ceremony of his son on June 8 and added that he would then share his thoughts.
Moosewala was shot dead by unidentified assailants in Mansa on May 29. On his Facebook page on Friday, noted economist Johl wrote that the killing of Moosewala was very unfortunate and painful.
“The society lost a forceful and popular voice. It is a cultural loss. Yet the loss for the parents is unimaginable and cannot be compensated,” he had stated.
While extending his heartfelt condolences to Moosewala's parents, Johl had said, “I feel it may be a bit helpful consolation if the father of Sidhu Moosewala is persuaded to be elected in a by-election to the Parliament from Sangrur constituency unopposed.” After his tweet, Punjab Congress chief Warring had endorsed Johl's views.
“Nothing can compensate Sidhu Moosewala's loss to his parents. Dr. SS Johl has suggested his father Balkaur Singh Ji be fielded as a consensus candidate for the Sangrur bypoll & he gets elected unopposed. I endorse it. Hope all other parties agree. Let's put politics of one-upmanship aside,” Warring had said in a tweet.
The Sangrur Lok Sabha seat fell vacant after Bhagwant Mann contested and won from the Dhuri assembly segment in the 2022 Punjab assembly elections. Mann, who at present is the Punjab Chief Minister, had won from Sangrur parliamentary seat in 2014 and 2019. Polling for the seat will be held on June 23 while the counting of votes will take place on June 26.
