The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has announced 67 candidates for the Haryana Assembly elections. One name among them is Sunil Sangwan. Sunil Sangwan joined the BJP two days ago and now the party has made him a candidate from the Charkhi Dadri seat. Questions are being raised on Sunil’s joining the BJP and being made a candidate, calling it an example of the power-system nexus. Who is Sunil Sangwan, who worked in the jail department, and why are questions being raised on him being made a BJP candidate?
Who is Sunil Sangwan?
Sunil Sangwan is the son of Satpal Sangwan, who was the Revenue and Cooperative Minister in the Haryana Government. Satpal Sangwan was considered to be one of the close associates of former Chief Minister Bansi Lal. Sunil was posted in the Jail Department of Haryana in the year 2002. Sunil, who started his journey with the Jail Department as a Jail Deputy Superintendent in Bhondsi Jail, was also last posted in the same jail. Sunil Sangwan took VRS while serving as Jail Superintendent in the same Bhondsi Jail where he started his journey with the Jail Department as a Jail Deputy Superintendent.
Why questions on Sunil’s ticket?
After working for more than 22 years in the jail department, Sunil had applied for VRS. On September 1, the Home Department of the Haryana government accepted Sunil’s application and on September 3, he formally joined the BJP. On September 4, the BJP announced a ticket for Sunil from the Charkhi Dadri seat. Now questions are being raised on Sunil’s ticket, but the reason for this is neither the timeline nor the political debut of an officer, the reason for this is his Sunaria connection. Sunil Sangwan was the jail superintendent of Rohtak’s Sunaria jail for about five years.
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Why is the connection being made with Ram Rahim
Sunil Sangwan was posted as Jail Superintendent in Sunaria Jail for five years, in the same jail where Dera Sacha Sauda chief Ram Rahim is lodged. Ram Rahim recently came out of jail on a 21-day furlough. Questions were also raised about Ram Rahim’s furlough in the election season. Ram Rahim has been released on furlough or parole 10 times so far and six of these occasions came when Sunil Sangwan was posted as Jail Superintendent in Sunaria Jail. Whether it is furlough or parole or remission of sentence due to good conduct of a prisoner, the report of the Jail Superintendent is considered decisive. Now that BJP has fielded Sunil Sangwan in the election fray, questions are being raised on this.
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When are the elections in Haryana?
There are 90 assembly seats in Haryana. Voting is to be held on all 90 seats of the state in a single phase on October 5 and the results will be declared on October 8. Earlier, the Election Commission had fixed October 1 as the date for voting on all the seats in Haryana and the election results were to be declared on October 4. Akhil Bharti Bishnoi Mahasabha Bikaner had demanded the Election Commission to change the date of voting in Haryana, referring to Asoj Amavasya on October 2 in the memory of Guru Jambheshwar. Bishnoi Mahasabha had mentioned the people of the community coming to Rajasthan on this festival and said that thousands of families who will travel to Rajasthan will be deprived of voting rights.
Source (PTI) (NDTV) (HINDUSTANTIMES)