Chandigarh, June 16 (IANS) Punjab Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Kewal Singh Dhillon said on Tuesday that Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann should not confront Sri Akal Takht Sahib, because those who have done so in the past “were left with nothing”.

Dhillon told the media here after several leaders from the Congress and the Shiromani Akali Dal joined the BJP and said that instead of making statements against the decisions of Sri Akal Takht Sahib or adopting a confrontational approach, CM Mann should appear before it as a true Sikh, acknowledge his mistake, and seek forgiveness from the ‘panth’ (the Sikh community).

He appealed to the state government’s Ministers who are Nanak Nam ‘leva’, IAS officers, and all officers and employees serving in the government that until CM Mann is forgiven by Sri Akal Takht Sahib, they should comply with its directives and refrain from holding meetings, engaging in conversations, or maintaining any other form of contact with him.

Responding to a question regarding Chief Minister Mann’s claim that the purported objectionable video does not belong to him, Dhillon remarked, “Does any thief ever admit that he has committed theft?”

On this occasion, senior Shiromani Akali Dal leader and four-time Councillor Sukhwinder Pal Singh Minta and his wife Harpreet Kaur joined the BJP.

Minta has served as a Councillor twice, while Harpreet Kaur has also been elected Councillor twice.

Minta is currently serving as a state political affair committee member of the Shiromani Akali Dal.

Additionally, Rajpal Atwal, son of senior Congress leader Gurbinder Singh Atwal, also joined the BJP.

Gurbinder Singh Atwal has previously served as a Minister in the state government and was elected twice as an MLA from the Nurmahal Assembly constituency.

Chief Minister Mann has rejected a fake video being attributed to him and said that a “malicious and politically motivated” conspiracy was being executed at the behest of Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Sukhbir Singh Badal to defame him and derail the Punjab government’s “pro-people” decisions.

Describing the incident as a desperate attempt by vested interests rattled by the state government’s tough ‘anti-beadbi’ (sacrilege) legislation and pro-Punjab decisions, the Chief Minister said certain politically influenced functionaries were being used to spread false propaganda against him.

–IANS

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