Sufi singer Hans Raj Hans on Saturday left the Congress and joined the BJP in the presence of party President Amit Shah at the party head quarters here.
After joining the Bharatiya Janata Party, Hans dubbed Prime Minister Narendra Modi as "Babbar Sher" and said: "I will fulfil my duty, whatever responsibility is given to me."
Hans, who is a recipient of the Padma Shri award, had joined the Congress in February this year.
He unsuccessfully contested the 2009 Lok Sabha polls from Jalandhar on a Shiromani Akali Dal ticket.
According to sources, Hans is likely to contest next year's assembly polls from Jalandhar West (Reserve) seat.
Prior to it, he was with the Akali Dal.
On his changing affiliation, Hans said, “Mera dil nhi lagya Congress vich. (I did not enjoy being in Congress). I still have very high and warm regards for Capt Amarinder Singh, but no comments for the rest of the partymen. It is my ghar wapsi. The BJP and the Akali Dal are one.”
When asked why he joined the BJP instead of the Akali Dal, he said: “I have always been impressed with PM Modi’s humility. He is like a ‘faqir’, who has left his home for the betterment of the humanity. I had gone to Gujarat when it was quake hit, and had even helped him collect 2.5 million dollars for rehabilitation purpose. When he had come to Punjab then as the Gujarat CM, he had showered praises on me. We have an old association owing to which he asked his party’s top leadership to make me join today.”
His 10-month stint in the Congress largely remained controversial. Soon after, he was taken into the Congress by PPCC chief Capt Amarinder Singh, there were reports of his name chosen for Rajya Sabha nomination, which got cancelled at the eleventh hour after much opposition from the Ravidassia leadership of the party.
