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Ex-CM Badal’s cousin Bhupinder joins BJP
Dhillon served as Badal’s political secretary for 25 years. When Badal represented the Lambi assembly segment, Dhillon held greater influence in that area.
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Major Bhupinder Singh Dhillon (retd), cousin of former Punjab chief minister and Akali patriarch late Parkash Singh Badal, joined the BJP in the presence of Haryana CM Nayab Singh Saini here on Monday.
Dhillon served as Badal’s political secretary for 25 years. When Badal represented the Lambi assembly segment, Dhillon held greater influence in that area.
His father, late Gurraj Singh Dhillon, served as a Rajya Sabha Member from 1952 to 1958, representing the Shiromani Akali Dal, and played an important role in Badal’s early political journey. Gurraj was the younger brother of Badal’s father.
Dhillon served in the army, fought in the 1971 India-Pakistan War, and continued his military service until 1988.
He has been associated with election campaigns since 1994 and has remained actively involved with the people of the Lambi constituency, maintaining a long-standing connect with the area.
Inducting him into the party, Saini said Dhillon’s joining is a big shot in the arm for the BJP as the leader enjoys a huge range of political experience, especially because of his closeness with Badal.
The Haryana chief minister welcomed Dhillon and his son Amarveer Singh into the BJP.
Pradeep Joshan, president of the Municipal Committee, Sanour and state secretary of the ruling Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) SC wing, also joined the BJP along with his supporters.
Later, addressing the media at a press conference, Saini demanded an unconditional apology from chief minister Bhagwant Mann for his remarks of “nakali pagadi” allegedly used by Mann for Saini during a press conference addressed by the Punjab CM earlier in the day.
“Mann’s remarks for me are remarks made against the pagdi (turban). This ‘pagadi’ was installed on the head of a Sikh by the Gurus. This is why I say that Mann’s remarks against ‘pagadi’ are an insult to the Gurus,” Saini said.
