Former Punjab CM Amarinder Singh joins BJP, says time to unite with party looking after country's interests

New Delhi: Former chief minister Amarinder Singh joined the BJP here on Monday and merged his Punjab Lok Congress with it, saying it was time for him to go to the party that is looking after the country's interests and security.

Singh (80) joined the BJP at its headquarters in the presence of Union ministers Narendra Singh Tomar and Kiren Rijiju along with several Punjab leaders. His son Raninder Singh and daughter Jai Inder Kaur also joined the saffron party.

In his remarks, the two-time former Punjab chief minister with a long association with the Congress before he quit it last year highlighted his security concerns for Punjab amid "increasing animosity" with Pakistan, something he has been seeing with "growing dismay".

"Now is the time to do something for the country. We have seen the Congress, now it is time to go to the party which has been doing so much for the country and its security. It is a pleasure being here," he told a press conference.

He also met Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP president J P Nadda after the joining ceremony.

Noting that Chinese border is also a short flight away from Chandigarh, Punjab's capital, Singh said the state is hemmed in by two hostile countries and that China is way ahead of India in weaponry. He blamed the Congress for the gap, saying no weapon was added to India's security apparatus when A K Antony was the defence minister.

The Narendra Modi government has been working to boost India's firepower and has introduced several new weaponry, he added. "Our ideology is the same," he said, stressing on his commitment to national security.

Asked whether his wife Preneet Kaur, a Congress MP from Patiala, would also join the BJP, he asked if it is necessary for the wife to do what the husband is doing, leaving everyone in laughter.

Singh had floated the Punjab Lok Congress last year after quitting the Congress following his unceremonious exit as chief minister, but his party failed to win any seat in the state assembly polls held in February. Singh himself lost from his home turf of Patiala Urban as the Aam Aadmi Party scored a landslide victory.  Along with Singh, former deputy speaker of Punjab Assembly Ajaib Singh Bhatti, former MP Amrik Singh Aliwal, former legislators Harchand Kaur, Harinder Singh Thekedar, Prem Mittal and labour leader Kewal Singh also joined the BJP with scores of his supporters.

The former adviser to Amarinder Singh, BIS Chahal, also joined the saffron party.

Later, Singh said that prior to his spine surgery abroad, he held discussions with his colleagues in Punjab Lok Congress, who told him that "if we want to see a bright future for Punjab, we need to join the BJP".

To a question on his stand on the completion of the Satluj Yamuna Link (SYL) canal as the BJP is in power in Haryana and also at the Centre, he said, "My job is to fight for Punjab and I will continue to do that." On the issue of security along Punjab's borders, he said, "We are a border state and I have been in politics for 52 years. I have seen over a period of time that our relationship with Pakistan deteriorated. The animosity that they have put forward, we have noted that with growing dismay. We have had three wars in 1961, 1965, and 1971, and since then this animosity has grown." Singh also said that he has been bringing the drone issue to the notice of the prime minister and the home minister, saying, "drones are coming in from across the border".

He said earlier they were coming in till 7 kms, now they are coming up to 42 kms, and they bring weapons, narcotics, and counterfeit currency with them.

"The objective is to create complete chaos in the border state," he noted.

Singh, the two-time former chief minister, is the scion of the erstwhile Patiala royal family.

Earlier, welcoming Singh and his party members into the BJP fold, Union minister Tomar said Capt Amarinder Singh has always considered the nation first and has kept the nation above everything.

"I welcome Amarinder Singh and his party into the BJP fold," he said.

He also noted that Punjab is a border state and it is important for the security of the nation that peace is maintained in the state.

"Capt sahib's thought has been similar to that of the BJP, as BJP is the lone political party which considers the nation first and the party after that. Amarinder Singh has also maintained this view all his life. Capt Amarinder coming with the BJP means that he wants peace and security in Punjab. The BJP will be strengthened in Punjab with his joining. This will be a historic step," Tomar said.

Union minister Kiren Rijiju said Punjab is a state that needs to be handled with care and asserted that they have seen Capt Amarinder Singh and his functioning.

"I would like to offer a hearty welcome to Amarinder Singh ji. We all are extremely excited. This is a important milestone in India's political history," he said.

Punjab BJP chief Ashwani Sharma was also present on the occasion.