New Delhi: Delhi BJP vice president Kuldeep Singh Bhat did not attended a function to celebrate Guru Gobind Singh’s 350th birth anniversary by Rashtriya Sikh Sangat, an affiliate of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), in the city Wednesday. RSS sarsangchalak Mohan Bhagwat was the chief guest of programme.

Mr Bhat said that religion was bigger than the party to him, while a section of the party has demanded strictest possible action against him.

Mr Bhat told this newspaper that following complaints about the RSS’s participation in commemorating the 400th Parkash Utsav of Guru Granth Sahib in 2004, Akal Takht had pronounced a ‘hukumnama’ on July 23 that year, directing the community to shun RSS activities.

“For me, the Sikh temporal body is supreme and since the call for boycott came from there, I am not attending today’s programme. For me ‘religion is bigger that party’. I will give an explanation if the the party asks me for one,” added Mr Bhat.

Questioning the absence of Mr Bhat from the programme, a senior Delhi BJP office-bearer said that the state leadership should not tolerate or encourage such acts, which are clearly against the party line. “Mr Bhat is playing into the hands of Akalis by going against the party. The party must take strongest possible action on Mr Bhat,” he demanded.

Another senior BJP office- bearer demanded that action should be taken against Mr Bhat’s wife, a councillor in East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC). “Her was appointed him Delhi BJP vice-president, a ticket given to his wife to contest municipal polls and was given a key post in the standing committee. Despite this, he shows his affiliations to the Akalis. He also involved in Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal). The BJP must act against Mr Bhat and his wife for defying the party’s direction to attend the function, which was attended by several state unit party men, including chief Manoj Tiwari.