The Punjab unit of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday opposed the demand to release terror convicts by its alliance partner, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD).
“Our party is against the release of jailed terrorists,” said State BJP president Kamal Sharma after party’s State executive meeting in Phagwara. He said that he fully endorses the stand of party national president Amit Shah over the issue who had on Thursday said that BJP is not in agreement with this. Sharma’s reaction came on Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal’s move seeking premature release of 13 convicts including the assassins of former Chief Minister Beant Singh.
SAD president and Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal, a day before, met Home Minister Rajnath Singh at New Delhi demanding “premature” release of convicts and prisoners who have completed their jail term. Reacting about the ties with Akali Dal, Sharma said: “Ours is a long and durable coalition.” He also said that BJP-SAD alliance would contest the civic polls in February together. Regarding expanding party's base in Punjab, he said that the party succeeded in making nine lakh members in just two months and it is aiming at enrolling 21 lakh new members by March 31.
“BJP has now bigger scope and capacity but its consolidation strengthens coalition also and it should not be taken otherwise,” he added. Disclosing executive meeting's deliberations, Sharma said that the ongoing membership drive, Amritsar anti-drug rally on January 22 and the subsequent ‘Nasha-Mukt’ Punjab Jan Jagran Yatra and coming municipal councils and corporations polls were discussed in the meeting. Sharma has asked the party workers to get benefit from BJP-friendly political atmosphere of state in order to expand party base in Punjab.
“For party, drug is not only a political issue but it is an issue relating to the future of Punjab…Party would fight a decisive battle against drug menace and its campaign would not only be limited to awareness over the issue,” he said. He added, “Party is very tough on the issue and would not soften its stand and this has already been cleared by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his radio programme. Our party chief Amit Shah has also clarified that drug was not only Punjab specific issue but was issue of the nation.”