Chandigarh: Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) chief Amit Shah was in Chandigarh on Thursday (June 7) to meet SAD (B) and BJP leaders ahead of upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
Amit Shah held a close door meeting ‘Badals’ in attempt to improve relationship with BJP’s political ally- Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal) in Punjab.
BJP chief met SAD (B) patron Parkash Singh Badal and his son and SAD (B) chief Sukhbir Singh Badal for about an hour. This was immediately followed by another meeting with the top leadership of SAD and BJP. During the meeting, Amit Shah asked SAD-BJP leaders to strategise together for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections by forming a coordination committee of leaders of both parties.
It is learnt that some SAD (B) leaders had planned to honour Hindutva political outfit chief in a Sector 34 based Sikh Gurdwara Sahib. Some local Sikh groups had planned to question Amit Shah regarding Sikh issues- including the imposition of GST on Langar. But their plans were foiled by the police as the police prevented the protesters from moving out of a Sikh institute in Sector 24 Chandigarh where they had gathered.
SAD (B) leaders, however, shifted their program from Sector 34 Gurdwara Sahib to Sector 44 Gurdwara Sahib fearing protests during Amit Shah’s visit.
Notably, the ruling party of India had sidelined its’ regional ally SAD (Badal). Badals have marginal say in BJP led NDA government in the centre.