A group of 1,000 Christian leaders have come together to float a Christian political party in Punjab.
According to a report in The Indian Express, the announcement of the new party, United Punjab Party, was made by Pentecostal Christian Community Management Committee.
Pastor Harpreet Deol, who runs “Open Door Chruch” in village Khojewala of Kapurthala district, while talking to the media on Monday said that he is the chairman of the committee, and he announced this political party after meeting with the members of this committee. He said that he will not join politics and remain as a religious leader only.
Asked about the need for formation of political party, he said that there are several issues related to the Christian community in Punjab, but the current AAP government has never asked them about their problems in the last one year of being in power. In the past also, their problems were ignored by the powers that be, he added.
The party’s name suggests the unity of the Christians in the state, he said.
Christian leaders said that the then Punjab government in 2011 had issued a notification regarding providing a cemetery in every district, but it never saw the light of day. Some time ago, the mother of one of the pastors had died in Bathinda, but there was no place available for her burial. They even protested along with the body of the departed soul, but to no avail, they added.
UCA News had reported on Feb 2 this year that there were Income Tax raids at the premises of Pastor Harpreet Deol and Pastor Bajinder Singh of the Church of Glory and Wisdom. The officials seized currency notes and documents relating to banks and property deals, the report said.
Pastor Bajinder Singh, it may be noted, was arrested in 2018 on the charge of raping a woman from Zirakpur in Punjab. He was arrested by the Delhi police at the Delhi airport when he was about to board a flight to London.
