CHANDIGARH: Cracks have surfaced in the SAD-BJP alliance in Punjab, as senior BJP leader and Local Bodies minister Anil Joshi on Wednesday indirectly blamed Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal, Revenue Minister Bikram Singh Majithia and Chief Parliamentary Secretary Harmeet Singh Sandhu for Taran Taran incident in which Joshi’s brother was thrashed and threatened with a gun. Joshi on Wednesday showed video clips of the incident which happened on Tuesday outside the office of the sub divisional magistrate in Taran Taran. The clips showed his brother Raja Joshi falling on the ground while two persons – Jaswant Singh and Sarabjit Singh –brandishing pistols at him. He was physically attacked and they also snatched his personal revolver.
Joshi said, “I will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP president Amit Shah and Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh in this regard. If family of a minister is not safe how can the government assure safety of ordinary people. Perhaps Akali leaders want us to leave Taran Taran.”
“My brother is lucky that he escaped unhurt. I discussed the incident with Punjab BJP president Kamal Sharma,” he said.
In the video a couple of policemen, including Taran Tarn City police station SHO Nirmal Singh, were present on the spot, but they did not interfere, Joshi said.
He alleged that all the accused been booked by the police are henchmen of Chief Parliamentary Secretary Harmeet Singh Sandhu.
He claimed that Sandhu is a close associate of Majithia, so he is also responsible for the incident. Joshi said Sukhbir, Deputy Chief Minister cum Home Minister, is equally responsible.
“I had raised questions on the working of the government and this attack on my family could be due to that,” he alleged.
Raja, a former councillor, was among the four people who were attacked. Gunshots were heard being fired into the air. The trouble began when a SAD delegation led by Bhupinder Singh Khera came out of the SDM’s office after raising objections over the delimitation of certain wards. The SAD and the BJP workers entered into an altercation even as a BJP delegation led by Raja and Rajkumar Aggarwal went inside to meet SDM Anupreet Kaur Dhillon. Later, Raja and other BJP workers were attacked.