Nothing unethical about inducting Haryana SAD MLA into party fold: BJP hits back

Hours after the SAD slammed the BJP for inducting its lone MLA in Haryana, the saffron party hit back at its ally on Friday, saying the Akalis should not preach on ethics as they had allied with the INLD in the 2014 Assembly polls.

In 2014, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), in alliance with the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD), had fielded candidates against BJP nominees in Haryana.

The remarks came from BJP national secretary Tarun Chugh after SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal said that inducting Akali MLA from Haryana's Kalanwali, Balkaur Singh into the saffron party fold was "unethical and unfortunate".

"Today, they (SAD) are teaching a lesson on what is ethical and unethical. They should first say whether contesting the 2014 Haryana assembly polls in alliance with INLD ethical," Chugh said.

The BJP leader said before the Akali Dal entered into an alliance with the INLD in 2014, it had fought several elections in alliance with the BJP in Punjab.

Chugh further dismissed the accusations of the Akali Dal, saying that the BJP had not done anything "unethical" by inducting Balkaur Singh.

"MLA (Balkaur) had fought on a joint ticket of the Akali Dal and the INLD against the BJP nominee. We did not do anything unethical by bringing him into party fold," the senior BJP leader said.

The SAD chief said even though the party's alliance with the BJP was intact in Punjab and Delhi, they would contest the Haryana Assembly polls independently.

Addressing reporters in Amritsar, Badal said, "There is a 'maryada' (dignity) of relationship (alliance). What the BJP has done, inducting our sitting MLA (into its own fold) is unethical and violated that maryada (dignity)."