With former Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh meeting Union Home Minister Amit Shah here on Wednesday over farmers' agitation against farm laws, BJP Punjab in-charge Dushyant Gautam said no political discussions had taken place but the BJP "always welcomes a nationalist in the party".
His remarks came in the backdrop of speculations that Captain Amarinder Singh, who resigned as Chief Minister earlier this month, was warming up to the BJP.
Gautam said this is not the first time Captain Amarinder Singh and Amit Shah met.
"They have met earlier also. Senior leaders of parties can meet anytime. There was no political discussions today. Amarinder Singh talked only about farmers' agitation and MSP," he told ANI.
Gautam said that whenever a politician meets leaders from other political parties during election time, speculation does arise. Punjab is slated to go to the polls early next year.
"It is a very natural thing that speculation takes place during election time when any politician meets another political party. But BJP always welcomes a nationalist who cares for the nation and about protecting the culture and borders of the country," he said.
He said the BJP has always stuck to the principles and that the political journey as Jan Sangh in 1951.
"We always remained on the same principles since 1951 when we started. We had only three seats at that time, today we have 303 seats as a large number of people joined our party," Gautam said.
Amarinder Singh's meeting with Amit Shah came amid fresh turmoil in Punjab Congress with the sudden resignation of state Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu.
Amarinder Singh had resigned as Chief Minister on September 18 and had told the media that the Congress leadership had let him down. He had also taken a dig at Sidhu over his resignation, saying he is not a stable man.
The meeting took place amid efforts of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to make the contest in the forthcoming assembly polls in the statewide open.
Amarinder Singh said he had urged Amit Shah to guarantee minimum support price to farmers and support Punjab in crop diversification.
"Met Union Home Minister @AmitShah ji in Delhi. Discussed the prolonged farmers agitation against FarmLaws & urged him to resolve the crisis urgently with repeal of the laws & guarantee MSP, besides supporting Punjab in crop diversification. #NoFarmersNoFood," Amarinder Singh said.
( With inputs from ANI )
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