New Delhi, Dec 3 (IANS) Ahead of the upcoming Punjab Assembly polls, former DGP Sarbdeep Singh Virk, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Sarabjit Singh Makkar, and other prominent leaders on Friday joined the BJP.
Virk, Makkar and others like Punjab Cooperative Bank's former Chairman Avtar Singh Zira, industrialist Harcharan Singh Ranauta joined the saffron party here in presence of Union Minister and BJP Punjab election in-charge Gajendra Singh Shekhawat. Union Minister Som Prakash was also present.
Welcoming the leaders in the party, Shekhawat said that the BJP will be strengthened in Punjab. "They have faith in Prime Minister Narendra Modi and they will strengthen the organisation in the state. BJP is moving ahead in Punjab and will create a new history," he said, noting all the new joinees are prominent names in their respective fields.
Makkar said: "I had said that the day Prime Minister Modi will take back the farm laws, I will join the BJP and today I have done the same."
He claimed that in coming days, more people will join the BJP.
On December 1, SAD leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa had joined the BJP. Before joining the BJP in the evening, Sirsa resigned the post of president Delhi Sikh Gurudwara Management Committee. In August, five SAD leaders had joined the BJP.
Most experts believe India’s official toll of 414,000 dead was a vast undercount, but the government has dismissed those concerns. A report released Tuesday estimates excess deaths to be 3 million to 4.7 million between January 2020 and this June.
Rejecting all opposition to his elevation, Congress interim President Sonia Gandhi appointed Navjot Singh Sidhu as the party's new Punjab unit President along with four Working Presidents.
Calling the reports of alleged snooping on prominent citizens using Israeli Pegasus spyware as "baseless", the ruling BJP on Monday said there is not a single shred of evidence so far that links either the central government or the party to this controversy.
Congress MPs from both Houses had met on Sunday afternoon at Rajya Sabha member Pratap Singh Bajwa's residence to discuss the issues related to Punjab and sought an appointment with Gandhi.
Apart from reviewing the security arrangements in the national capital, the Delhi Police have also strengthened the security in and around the Red Fort ahead of the Independence Day.
Police said acting on a specific information, Budgam Police along with the Army's 53 RR and 43 BN of the CRPF arrested one local terrorist linked with proscribed terror outfit LeT and recovered incriminating materials, arms and ammunition including one Chinese pistol, one magazine, eight live pistol rounds from his possession.
