Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) patron and Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal had termed the induction of SAD MLA Gill in BJP as "unfortunate", and said "both SAD and BJP should refrain from poaching leaders of each other's party, as it was violation of the coalition dharma".
Senior BJP leader and party in-charge of Punjab Shanta Kumar, however, today refused to comment on the objection raised by Badal.
Kumar, however, ruled out that cracks had started appearing between the alliance partners in Punjab.
Punjab BJP Chief Kamal Sharma, meanwhile, said that Gill had served as police officer most of his time in Jammu and Kashmir. "Gill is more aware of the people of Jammu and Kashmir... So he joined BJP there," Sharma said.
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Earlier too there had been a few incidents that had reportedly led to friction between the two allies. In June, senior BJP leader Balramji Dass Tandon had questioned Badal's meeting with the Prime Minister in Delhi over bringing back Punjabis stuck in Iraq, without any state BJP leader.
Badal, however, had said that as the head of a state every Chief Minister can meet the PM and union ministers anytime as the sole motive of such meetings is to ensure welfare and development of the state.
Later to iron out the simmering differences between the two allies, a coordination committee was set up comprising leaders from SAD and BJP.