Jakhar started working for BJP long ago, playing blatant Hindutva politics: Punjab Congress chief

Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring hit out at Sunil Jakhar who joined the BJP on Thursday, saying he might have formally joined the saffron outfit now but he had started working for it long ago, and was playing blatant Hindutva politics.

Former chief minister Amarinder Singh, whose Punjab Lok Congress is an ally of the BJP, however, congratulated Jakhar for joining the saffron outfit, saying honest and upright leaders like him cannot breathe in the grand old party.

Former Punjab Congress president Jakhar joined the BJP in Delhi in the presence of party chief J P Nadda, days after he quit the grand old party.

Reacting to this, Warring said the development was along expected lines.

He also accused Jakhar of damaging the Congress "in every way".

"Not unexpected. @sunilkjakhar may have formally joined the @BJP4India today, he had started working for the party long before, playing blatantly Hindutva politics, damaging the party in every way. There was reason for him to rake up 'Hindu' card and the reason was revealed today," Warring tweeted.

However, in his tweet, Amarinder Singh, with whom Jakhar shared a good equation when both were in the Congress, said, "Right man in the right party. Congratulations to @sunilkjakhar for joining @BJP4India."

"Honest and upright leaders like him cannot breathe in the @INCIndia anymore," said Amarinder Singh, who had last year floated his party after quitting the Congress following his unceremonious exit as the chief minister.

Earlier in the day, Nadda said Jakhar had enjoyed a special stature in Punjab that was independent of the Congress party and helped strengthen nationalist forces in the state.

"BJP is emerging as the number one nationalist force in Punjab. Hence it is necessary for all leaders having nationalist ideology to join the BJP to strengthen the party and for a stronger Punjab," Nadda said.

Jakhar, a three-term MLA and a former Lok Sabha member from Gurdaspur, said the BJP had welcomed him because he had not pursued politics for personal good.

He had quit the Congress last week after lashing out at former Punjab chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi on Twitter, saying that he was "not an asset" as portrayed by the party leadership.

He was removed from all party posts by the Congress disciplinary committee following allegations of anti-party activities levelled against him by certain Punjab unit leaders.

He also lashed out at veteran Congress leader Ambika Soni for her statement on the "repercussions of having a Hindu chief minister in Punjab".

Jakhar also held Soni's statement as one of the reasons for the Congress' drubbing in the Punjab assembly polls earlier this year.