BJP minority morcha honours freedom fighter Sikander Bakht on August 24 – Rising Kashmir

New Delhi, August 18: The Minority Morcha of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led by its national chairman Jamal Siddiqui will observe the birth anniversary of freedom fighter, Padma Vibhushan awardee and BJP founder and general secretary Sikander Bakht on August 24.
Commemorative programmes are being organised in various regions of the country, including Delhi, to remember the services of Sikander Bakht, the front said in a statement issued here.
In Delhi, Siddiqui will pay tribute at the shrine of Sikander Bakht at the Mehndiya graveyard of Maulana Azad Medical Institute. A special memorial function will also be organised by the Minority Morcha Delhi Pradesh on the occasion. Preparations for the event are already underway. The Morcha's national vice president SM Akram has issued guidelines and written to all state presidents of the Morcha to ensure the success of the programme, he said.
The National President highlighted the central role played by Sikander Bakht in the founding of the BJP. Bakht was the party's general secretary and rose to the position of vice-president in 1984. In the early years, he was considered the Muslim face of the BJP and was the foreign minister in the 13-day government of Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Bakht was elected to the Rajya Sabha in 1990 and became the leader of the opposition in 1992. In recognition of his services, he was awarded the Padma Vibhushan in 2000.