Captain Amarinder Singh is a patriot and the BJP is open to alliances with those who put national interests first, party general secretary and Punjab in-charge Dushyant Gautam said on Wednesday, a day after Singh announced he would launch his own political party.
Singh, the former chief minister of Punjab, on Tuesday said he would soon announce his own political party and is hopeful of a seat arrangement with the BJP if the farmers' issue is resolved in their interest..
"Our main agenda is nationalism and keeping the nation first. All those parties who want to form alliances with us on this agenda are welcome," Gautam said.
Amarinder Singh was once a soldier and his stand on the issues of national security should be praised, the BJP leader said. "....He (Amarinder Singh) was a soldier. He knows about the threats to the country and how to secure it is. He is patriotic. And whenever it was a matter of national security and security at the borders, we have appreciated his stand," Gautam said, adding that nationalists are not "untouchables" to the BJP.
Gautam, however, indicated that nothing has been finalised yet as "Amarinder Singh still needs to form his party and put forward his views".
Meanwhile, Punjab's Deputy Chief Minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa on Wednesday said that Amarinder Singh has destroyed himself by announcing a seat arrangement with BJP.
"Captain Amarinder Singh has destroyed himself by announcing a seat arrangement with BJP, whom he has always abused," he said.
Randhawa further slammed Amarinder Singh and said that BJP should hold an enquiry over the former Punjab Chief Minister's "whereabouts after his resignation in 1984 and his relation with Pakistan".
"There must be some pressure on him. Many cases have been filed against him and his children. We have no fear of Amarinder's decision," he added.
Randhawa also called Singh an "opportunist" and claimed that he is responsible for the increase in Border Security Force (BSF) jurisdiction on the border of Punjab.
(With PTI and ANI inputs)