BJP, SAD still not in mood to throw out Sidhus, Pargat
Even as the Sidhus (Navjot Singh and Navjot Kaur) and suspended Jalandhar Cantonment Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) MLA Pargat Singh have announced to form a new political party ‘Awaz-e-Punjab’, both the SAD and the BJP are not yet in a mood to throw these leaders out of the parties.
Even as the Sidhus (Navjot Singh and Navjot Kaur) and suspended Jalandhar Cantonment Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) MLA Pargat Singh have announced to form a new political party ‘Awaz-e-Punjab’, both the SAD and the BJP are not yet in a mood to throw these leaders out of the parties.
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Sources have disclosed that both the parties are waiting for the formal announcement of the new political party scheduled on September 8, so that after becoming their members, both Bharatiya Janata Party MLA from Amritsar (east) Navjot Kaur and Pargat Singh get automatically disqualified as MLAs under the anti-defection law.
“I don’t know why media repeatedly ask when we are taking action against Sidhus. Let me tell you, we are not even bothered about their activities and are working hard keeping in mind the assembly polls,” said Punjab BJP chief Vijay Sampla while talking to HT.
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“Any proceeding about the action has to be initiated by the party high command who are much more aware than us about the couple.
The state unit has nothing to do with it,” said the state BJP chief. On the other hand, the SAD, working on the same approach also, wants Pargat to get “automatically” disqualified after he joins the new political outfit.
“We have already suspended him from the party. Any further action against Pargat would be discussed once the SAD chief is back in the country,” said SAD spokesperson and education minister Dr Daljeet Singh Cheema.
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As per a senior BJP leader, by dismissing the Sidhus, the party doesn’t want to give them a “free” chance to hit back at the national high command.
“The party is fearing that if the Sidhus are shaken, they will hit back at the party much before the couple is planning to do the same.
So,it’s best to wait for them to leave the party,” said a senior BJP leader.
The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) senior leadership also said it was the reason why, when Pargat shot off a letter to the chief minister blasting his style of functioning, the SAD did not retaliate giving no reason to Pargat to hit back.
Pargat, meanwhile said, he has already decided to quit once the formal announcement is made.
“The tag of the SAD has become very heavy to bear for me now keeping in view the plight of the state. I will resign shortly,”he said. Pargat is planning to resign during the assembly session starting from September 8.