Grewal is New NCM Chairman; ‘Waris Panjab De’ Focus on Hindu-Sikh Unity

July

2026

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Indian government has appointed 69-year-old Harjeet Singh Grewal as the Chairman of the National Commission for Minorities (NCM). Grewal is the third Sikh to head the NCM. BJP leader Iqbal Singh Lalpura was appointed to the post in September 2021. His three-year tenure—with a brief rupture Jan–Apr 2021 to contest elections—ended in April 2025. Before him, Tarlochan Singh served as the NCM chairman from 2003–06. Grewal’s rise within the BJP has been driven by organizational work rather than electoral success. Over the years, he has worked to expand the BJP’s organizational network in Panjab, Haryana, and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. In 1990, he founded the BJP’s Kisan Morcha (Farmers Wing) and later served as its national president. In the late 1990s, he became the party’s first Sikh national secretary. He is currently a member of the BJP National Executive. Grewal's appointment is significant as it comes ahead of Panjab Assembly polls in early 2027. However, despite NCM being headed by a Sikh thrice, Sikh issues are hardly NCM’s priority. For example, even a simple issue like initiated Sikhs across India continuing to face occasional discrimination over their article of faith—the kirpan (traditional sword)—has not been resolved. Meanwhile, Akali Dal (Waris Punjab De) has confirmed that jailed Khadoor Sahib Member of Parliament Amritpal Singh will contest the upcoming Panjab Assembly elections as the party's chief minister candidate. Member of Legislative Assembly from Dakha, Ludhiana district, Manpreet Singh Ayali announced the party's focus will be on Panthic (Sikh Collective) issues, and Hindu-Sikh unity. He said, 'Making Panjab safe for Hindus, Sikhs, Muslims, and all other communities is our top priority. I assure you that all talk of radicalism about our group is wrong. We represent all Panjabis and we work within the framework of the Indian Constitution.' Concurrently, security forces in Bahraich, Uttar Pradesh arrested a wanted member of Waris Punjab De from the Nepal border. Vikramjit Singh is wanted in a 2023 attack on the police station at Ajnala, Amritsar district. He was accompanied by US national Manveer Singh Dhillon, a native of Moga district (earlier coverage).