A prominent leader of Punjab, Jakhar joined the BJP in the presence of party president JP Nadda.
Addressing the media after joining the BJP, Jakhar hit out at the Congress and alleged that it insults the spirit of brotherhood in Punjab trying to divide the state on the basis of percentage of castes, communities and religion . Jakhar, 68, said, “I had to stand in the dock after insisting that Punjab cannot be divided.” Charanjit Singh Channi As the first Dalit Chief Minister of Punjab.
“Three generations of my family have served the Congress party in the last 50 years. Today, I have severed the 50-year-old ties with the party on the issues of nationalism, unity and brotherhood in Punjab,” Jakhar said at the BJP headquarters. He said that he had to leave the Congress as he was questioned for raising issues against divisive politics. “When a party deviates from its values and principles, it is ideal to leave it,” Jakhar said.
“There were some fundamental issues. There was no personal dispute. The dispute was about nationalism and the integrity of Punjab. The goodwill of the state which could not be broken with bullets from AK-47 rifles,” he said.
selection of sugar
Jakhar was the frontrunner for the post of Punjab CM last year, when the Congress appointed Channi in place of Amarinder Singh. However, a section of the Congress leadership opposed Jakhar, a Hindu, saying that only a Sikh could be the Chief Minister of Punjab.
Jakhar was removed from all party posts by the Congress following allegations of anti-party activities by a section of party leaders in Punjab.
Jakhar took to Twitter last week to hit out at Channi, saying he was “not an asset” as the party leadership has shown. Before stepping down, he had also criticized veteran Congress leader Ambika Soni for her statement on the “consequences of being a Hindu chief minister in Punjab”.
Jakhar cited Soni’s statement as one of the reasons for the Congress’s defeat in the Punjab Assembly elections earlier this year.
‘Big role in BJP’
After welcoming Jakhar, Nadda said, “I welcome Sunil Jakhar to the Bharatiya Janata Party. He is a seasoned political leader who has made a name for himself during his political career. I am sure he will lead the party in Punjab. Will play a big role in strengthening it.” Party.
Punjab is a border state and nationalist leaders like Jakhar are welcome in the BJP, the party chief said. “There are issues in Punjab which are detrimental to the security in the border state and leaders with strong belief in nationalism are welcome to defeat such forces,” Nadda said.
While the Congress has lost a prominent Hindu leader in Punjab with Jakhar’s exit, his joining could help the BJP increase its footprint in the border state, where the saffron party was a fringe player and mostly with the Akali Dal. The election was fought in alliance.
(with inputs from agencies)
watch Former Punjab Congress President Sunil Jakhar joins Bharatiya Janata Party