Last Update: June 01, 2023, 23:58 IST
Jalandhar [Jullundur]India
Both Sidhu and Majithia had contested the assembly elections against each other from Amritsar East last year. However, both had to face defeat at the hands of the AAP candidate. (Photo: Twitter)
The leaders also announced that all parties were going together to meet the Governor and President of India on issues of alleged retaliation by the Mann government.
A forum in Punjab’s Jalandhar where leaders of all opposition parties gathered against the “oppressive” Bhagwant Mann government on Thursday witnessed a rare bonding between two arch-rivals Navjot Singh Sidhu and Bikram Majithia.
Leaders of Congress, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and CPM came together to present a united front against the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government.
While the meeting was underway, Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu and SAD leader Bikram Majithia stood up to shake hands and hug each other tightly. Both the leaders have made baseless allegations against each other. Sidhu had publicly accused Majithia of being involved in the narcotics trade and even praised the move when the SAD leader was booked in a narcotics case.
Sidhu called out to Majithia from the dais and moved towards him and after shaking hands, both of them embraced each other. Meanwhile, SAD leader Sukhbir Singh said in a lighter vein, ‘Beware! The program is going live on a channel.”
Both Sidhu and Majithia had contested the assembly elections against each other from Amritsar East last year. However, both had to face defeat at the hands of the AAP candidate.
During his address, Sidhu recalled his stay in jail with Majithia, saying, “We both went to the jail where they had 8 feet wide grain crushers.”
Congress’s Amarinder S Raja Waring, BJP’s Ashwini Sharma, Shiromani Akali Dal’s Sukhbir Badal and BSP’s Jasveer Garhi attended the meeting and declared that they would stand by each other in case of any attack by the AAP government.
The leaders also announced that all parties were going together to meet the Governor and President of India on issues of alleged retaliation by the Mann government.
Though the direct reason for the event was to express solidarity with Barjinder Singh Hamdard, Managing Editor of Ajit Group of Publications against whom Vigilance Bureau notice has been issued, the main focus was to target the ruling party on various political issues.
In a display of rare camaraderie, the leaders were seen cracking jokes and laughing. At one point, a leader was heard jokingly asking BJP’s Ashwini Sharma why the ED was not going after Mann.
