SAD leader Inder Iqbal Singh Atwal, brother join BJP

“We will work day and night to strengthen the BJP in Punjab.”

Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Inder Iqbal Singh Atwal joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) here on Sunday, in the presence of Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri and other senior leaders of the party.

Mr. Atwal is the son of Charanjit Singh Atwal, who was the Deputy Speaker of the 14th Lok Sabha from 2004 to 2009, and had also served as the Speaker of the Punjab Assembly.

Besides Mr. Atwal, his younger brother Jasjeet Singh Atwal and other leaders from Punjab joined the BJP at the party headquarters here.

"If at all anyone is implementing the ideas of Babasaheb Ambedkar in the real sense, it is the Government of India under Prime Minister Narendra Modi. I am joining the BJP after being impressed by the work done by its government at the Centre, through various schemes," Mr. Atwal, former SAD vice-president, told reporters.

He also hailed Mr. Modi for the reopening of the Kartarpur corridor for Sikhs and said the Prime Minister had set a "historic milestone" with this step.

Mr. Atwal said there was a need to herald "a new era" of development in Punjab, taking along all sections of the society, including Dalits.

"We will work day and night to strengthen the BJP in Punjab under the guidance of the party leadership. We will take along the entire Sikh society as well as people belonging to every religion and community, to lead Punjab onto the path of progress," he added.