Parkash Singh Badal slams BJP for poaching SAD leader

CHANDIGARH: BJP president Amit Shah's announcement to induct former Punjab police chief and Shiromani Akali Dal ( SAD) political leader has further escalated the tension between the two allies after Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal on Tuesday dubbed its coalition partner's move "inappropriate and disturbing".

P S Gill, the former top cop, had joined BJP at Shah's public function in Jammu amid reports of him being sidelined by the Akalis.

"Eh badi maadi gal haigi (This is a very inappropriate move by the BJP). Neither Shiromani Akali Dal nor the BJP should do anything like this. After all, we are partners," Badal told reporters at civil secretariat.

He also claimed that he was not informed about this announcement by either the local or national BJP leaders of Punjab. The SAD patriarch, who was once being tipped to be the NDA convenor, however, said the coalition at the Centre will remain intact.

Ties between SAD and BJP have got strained ever since the election loss of saffron party's top leader Arun Jaitley from Amritsar Lok Sabha seat.

A three-member committee, headed by Punjab BJP leader Balramji Dass Tandon and set up to look into the performance of the allies in the Lok Sabha polls in July, had blamed the Akali Dal for poor show in Punjab.