BJP asks SAD to ensure peace in Punjab

The BJP president says this during the launch of its chargesheet "UPA's Three Years, Aam Aadmi's Tear Years" at party headquarters in New Delhi.

Concerned over developments in Punjab, the BJP has asked its partner Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), leading the coalition, to ensure that peace was maintained in the state.

"I have spoken twice with Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on phone and told him that the bandh organised in the state should be peaceful at any cost," BJP President Rajnath Singh said in New Delhi.

"We are very keen that there is no untoward incident occurs in the state during bandh and every measure should be taken to contain violence, if any," Singh said.

The BJP president said this during the launch of its chargesheet "UPA's Three Years, Aam Aadmi's Tear Years" at party headquarters in New Delhi. He refused to take any further questions on Dera issue in Punjab where BJP is a coalition partner in Badal government.

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The Bandh call follows stand-off between Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmit Ram Rahim and highest Sikh temporal seat Akal Takhat and the Punjab CM as the former refused to tender apology for his "blasphemous" act of aping Guru Gobind Singh's act of baptising 'Panj Payaras'.

Barring few incidents of clashes, bandh has been largely complete and peaceful in Punjab. Akal Takhat has given ultimatum to state government to wind up Gurmit's deras in Punjab by May 27.