Virsa Singh Valtoha

Virsa Singh Valtoha
Member of Punjab Legislative Assembly
In office 2007–2017
Preceded by	Gurchet Singh
Constituency	Khem Karan
Succeeded by	Sukhpal Singh Bhullar
Personal details
Political party	Shiromani Akali Dal till 15 October 2024
Spouse	Palwinder Kaur
Children	1
Residence(s)	Valtoha, Tarn Taran

Virsa Singh Valtoha is a former militant and Indian politician and belongs to Shiromani Akali Dal party. He is a former member of the Punjab Legislative Assembly who represented Khem Karan.^[1][2] He was former Chief spokesperson of Shiromani Akali Dal and also served as District President of the party.On 15 of October 2024 jathedaar of akaal takt given order to expel him from party for putting wrong elegations on jathedaar for being connected to center party.

Family

His father's name is Sohan Singh. Virsa Singh Valtoha's son's name is Mr. Gauravdeep Singh, who is advocate at Punjab And Haryana High Court. He is also the president of SOI (Student Organization Of India) from Majha Zone (Punjab). ^[3]

Political career

Valtoha first became involved in the All India Sikh Student Federation during the time of Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale. During this period he was allegedly behind multiple killings and bomb blasts.^[4] Valtoha was elected to the Punjab Legislative Assembly from the Valtoha constituency in 2007.^[5] During the 2012 Punjab election, Valtoha constituency underwent boundary delimitation. Valtoha then successfully contested the Punjab Assembly seat from Khem Karan.^[1]

Controversies

For using Casteist remark

Valtoha has been accused of insulting dalits (a historically discriminated community of lower caste people placed at the end of the caste pyramid, who constitute 36% of the states population in India), by a member of an opposition party in the legislature.^[6] Due to a casteist slur by Virsa Singh Valtoha, former Ravidassia M.L.A. Tarlochan Singh Soondh hurled a shoe towards Valtoha in the Punjab State Legislative Assembly^[7]

Giani Harpreet Singh also accused Virsa Singh Valtoha of issuing threats to his family, abducting his daughter,^[8] and raising caste remarks against him for being a Dalit Sikh.^[9]

References

1. "STATISTICAL REPORT ON GENERAL ELECTION, 2012 TO THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF PUNJAB" (PDF). Election Commission of India. Retrieved 19 May 2013.
2. "Punjab Vidhan Sabha, Shiromani Akali Dal". Akali Dal Badal. Archived from the original on 25 July 2013. Retrieved 20 May 2013.
3. "MyNeta Profile". Association for Democratic Reforms. Retrieved 20 May 2013.
4. "Modus operandi of terrorists: Chilling details from AISSF activist Virsa Singh Valtoha". India Today. 17 December 2013. Retrieved 2 June 2024.
5. "STATISTICAL REPORT ON GENERAL ELECTION, 2007 TO THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF PUNJAB" (PDF). Election Commission of India. Retrieved 19 May 2013.
6. "Caste bomb explodes in Punjab assembly, MLA flings shoe". The Times of India.
7. Kaur, Sukhdeep. "'Caste slur', shoegate, and all the drama as curtains down on Punjab assembly". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 23 October 2024.
8. Singh, Surjit. "Punjab: Citing slander, security threats, Giani Harpreet Singh quits". Hindustan Times. Hindustan Times. Retrieved 25 October 2024.
9. Jagga, Raakhi (19 October 2024). "At centre of row between Akali Dal, Akal Takht, who is Jathedar Harpreet Singh". The Indian Express. The Indian Express. Retrieved 25 October 2024.^{[verification needed]}