Chandigarh, February 15 – The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) received a significant boost on Sunday when Punjab BJP Vice-President and two-time legislator, Arvind Khanna, joined the party along with BJP office bearers, including the district president.
Welcoming Khanna into the Akali Dal, party President Sukhbir Badal said, "The storm that will drive Delhi-based parties out of Punjab has begun today." He also announced Khanna's appointment as the constituency in-charge for the Sangrur constituency.
He said the senior leader had been serving the people of Sangrur for the past two decades and had been instrumental in carrying out various social initiatives under the Umeed Foundation, headed by him.
"He is one of the rare breed of leaders who believe in selfless service and giving back to society," Badal said.
Speaking on the occasion, Khanna said he started his political career with the Akali Dal and described his rejoining as a homecoming. He said people still remembered the unprecedented development achieved in the state during the Akali governments. "They want a return to those days," he said while also stating that he was inspired by the selfless service rendered by Sukhbir Badal during the floods in Punjab last year.
The Akali Dal President also welcomed District BJP president Dharminder Singh Dullat, former Municipal Council presidents Harbans Singh Garcha and Deepak Aggarwal, Daljit Singh Sekhon, executive member of the state BJP committee, Manjula Sharma, district president, BJP Mahila Morcha, ex-president of truck union, Gurmeet Singh Kaka and block presidents -- Boota Singh, Narinder Kumar Shally, Navdeep Singh Nippa and Harmel Singh.
Several leaders of Dirba, Sunam, Dhuri and Barnala of the BJP and the Congress also joined the Akali Dal along with Khanna.
Badal also appealed to the people to support the SAD, which truly represented their aspirations as a regional party.
"We are committed to firmly dealing with the gangster culture that has been introduced into Punjab by AAP," he said. He also criticized Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann for destroying the state by ushering in an era of lawlessness and drug addiction.