HS Phoolka’s entry into BJP signals a shift from years of courtroom work back into active politics, bringing his long public profile into a new political setting.
Senior advocate HS Phoolka is welcomed into the BJP by party leaders during a joining event in New Delhi on Wednesday | ANI
Senior advocate and human rights activist HS Phoolka on Wednesday joined the Bharatiya Janata Party in New Delhi, saying there was “no better party” for him to return to politics.
The move brings back into the political space a figure best known for pursuing cases linked to the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. Phoolka had earlier distanced himself from active politics, saying he wanted to concentrate on court battles for victims.
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Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, Delhi Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa and BJP National General Secretary Tarun Chugh were present at the event, along with other party leaders.
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Speaking to the media after joining, Phoolka said he had been fighting for justice for victims of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots for nearly four decades and had received support from the BJP during that time.
“I have been fighting the fight for the 1984 riots victims for the last 40 years, and I have been supported by the BJP since then. I have fought my fight together with them. I have also done a lot of legal work for the BJP,” he said.
He also pointed to the situation in Punjab, citing concerns over law and order, extortion calls and drug abuse.
“The situation is really bad in Punjab. Extortion calls are being made, there is a law and order situation there, drugs menace and the land of Punjab is going to turn barren in 13-14 years. But the government is least bothered,” Phoolka said, adding that he was returning to politics for the state.
“There was no better party than BJP to return to,” he added.
Phoolka had entered electoral politics with the Aam Aadmi Party in Punjab in 2014. He contested the Ludhiana Lok Sabha seat that year but lost to Congress leader Ravneet Singh Bittu by 19,709 votes.
He later won from Dakha in the 2017 Punjab Assembly elections, defeating Akali leader Manpreet Singh Ayali. However, his stint in politics did not last long. He stepped down from party roles in 2015 and formally exited AAP in January 2019, calling his political entry a mistake at the time.
Phoolka has been in the Delhi High Court for decades, but most people know him for his long, stubborn fight for justice in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots cases. He led legal efforts against Congress leaders such as Sajjan Kumar, HKL Bhagat, and Jagdish Tytler.
His work in this area was recognised with the Padma Shri in 2019.
In the years following the riots, he helped set up the Citizens Justice Committee in 1985 to represent victims before various commissions. He later launched a website in 2001 to make documents related to the riots accessible to the public.
Phoolka also co-authored When a Tree Shook Delhi, a detailed account of the 1984 violence.
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