Kamal defends Joshi, says will raise issue with SAD

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, April 22

A day after the Akali Dal’s local unit sought Local Bodies Minister Anil Joshi’s removal from the Cabinet, Punjab BJP chief Kamal Sharma said he would take up the matter with the SAD high command.

Talking to The Tribune, Sharma said “a group of Joshi’s supporters met him during his Amritsar visit today and termed the allegations levelled against him as baseless”. Reacting to the Akali move, he said it was quite unfortunate and he would raise the issue with the SAD top brass. He said he was unaware as to why the Akali Dal was repeatedly targeting Joshi.

Local Akali Dal unit chief Upkar Singh Sandhu had yesterday held a press conference and accused Joshi of indulging in favouritism and promoting encroachments in the city.

The SAD had also cautioned that they might gherao BJP president Amit Shah during his Amritsar visit on May 2 if the party did not initiate any action against Joshi.