SAD-BJP alliance intact in Punjab, Delhi: SAD chief
AMRITSAR : Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Friday slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for inducting its only sitting MLA in poll-bound Haryana into its fold and said, “There is a maryada in a relationship. Making our sitting MLA join the BJP is unethical and violation of that maryada.”
When asked if the rift in Haryana would impact the alliance in Punjab, he said, “Our alliance with the BJP in Punjab and Delhi is intact.”
In Haryana, we had no alliance with the BJP, but the move by the saffron party has disturbed our understanding in the poll-bound state.
“What they have done is strongly condemnable. It is unfortunate that they (BJP) have done it to the party, which has always remained by its side,” said the SAD president.
‘EFFORTS MADE TO REVIVE MILITANCY’
Holding the Punjab Police and the state government responsible for failing to check the supply of arms and ammunitions from Pakistan through drone, he said, “I feel efforts are being made to revive militancy in Punjab. The persons arrested for involvement in the terror activities have strong links with Congress MPS. Now, an exercise is on to protect these persons. This is an issue of national security and the SAD will not tolerate any compromise with it.”
Recalling that how during the SAD-BJP government the alliance’s claim of drugs being supplied from Pakistan was rejected by Amarinder Singh then, he said now Captain has same position on the issue.
“Punjab government is responsible for checking drugs’ supply from Pakistan, but it is deliberately shirking off its duty and putting it on the Centre. The law and order comes under the jurisdiction of state and I would like to ask the chief minister that how many meetings he has conducted with the Punjab Police top brass to discuss the law and order situation,” he said.
BJP, SAD TO CONTEST ASSEMBLY BYPOLLS TOGETHER: MALIK
LUDHIANA : A day after the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) announced to contest Haryana assembly elections on its own, Punjab’s BJP unit president Shwait Malik on Friday said the two parties would be contesting the assembly bye-elections together in the state. Malik said: “The bond between the two parties is very old and strong. BJP and SAD will be contesting the Punjab assembly bye-elections together.”
“It was the Akali Dal’s decision to contest Haryana assembly polls alone but our alliance will continue in Punjab,” he said.
‘NOTHING UNETHICAL IN INDUCTING HRY SAD MLA INTO PARTY FOLD’
CHANDIGARH: Hours after the SAD slammed the BJP for inducting its lone MLA in Haryana, BJP national secretary Tarun Chugh hit back at its ally saying the Akalis should not preach on ethics as they had allied with the INLD in the 2014 assembly polls.
“Today, they (SAD) are teaching us a lesson ethics. They should first say whether contesting the 2014 Haryana assembly polls in alliance with INLD was ethical,” Chugh said.