Rift between SAD-BJP over; Badal assures BJP MLAs of 'justice'

Before the start of the Budget session today, members of BJP held a meeting with Shiromani Akali Dal to 'end the raging rift'

A day after Punjab BJP skipped the combined legislative meeting with SAD over the issue of attack on a BJP MLA's brother, both parties today broke the ice with Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal assuring that the members of the saffron party will get "justice".

Before the start of the Budget session today, members of the BJP, an ally of the ruling party in Punjab, held a meeting with Shiromani Akali Dal to "end the raging rift".

The meeting was attended by Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal, Punjab BJP President Kamal Sharma, BJP National General Secretary Tarun Chugh, party General Secretary Ajay Jamwal, all four BJP ministers Anil Joshi, Surjit Kumar Jayani, Madan Mohan Mittal and Chunni Lal Bhagat and BJP MLAs including Ashwani Sharma.

The major issue which was discussed in the joint meeting was the attack on the brother of Punjab Cabinet Minister Anil Joshi.

In the meeting, Badal assured the BJP members that they would get justice. "Punjab CM Parkash Singh Badal assured the BJP members in the meeting that you will get justice," Chugh said.

Punjab BJP yesterday had skipped a combined legislative meeting with Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), alleging that the latter "did not act tough" after an attack on a BJP MLA's brother.

Last month, the brother of Punjab cabinet minister and BJP MLA Anil Joshi, was attacked outside the SDM office in Tarn Taran Sahib in Punjab. Joshi had charged the SAD MLAs with being behind the "murderous attack" on his younger brother Raja Joshi.

The core committee of BJP had then given 24-hour ultimatum to the state government to take action including suspension of SSP and dismissal of SHO in connection with the attack.

BJP members had been claiming that Punjab police had gone "soft" on alleged attackers in this case and accused had even got bails.

After getting assurance from Punjab Chief Minister, Punjab BJP decided to "end the matter" and further announced to participate in the scheduled Cabinet meeting to be held later today.

"The deadlock (with SAD) is now over. BJP will now attend the cabinet meeting," Chugh announced.

Notably, the "rift" between SAD and BJP also widened after Akali MLA and Education minister Daljeet Singh Cheema had allegedly said that SAD had taken the support of Independent municipal councillors in the election for the President of Rupnagar Council "to teach (BJP MLA Madan Mohan) Mittal a lesson".

BJP poses no threat to its senior alliance partner SAD which has 58 members in an effective 116 member House in which the Dhuri seat is vacant due to the recent resignation of Congress member Arvind Khanna.

The BJP has 12 members, Congress 43, two are Associate SAD members and one is an Independent in the 117-member House.