After merging his party PLC, Captain Amarinder Singh joins BJP

Captain Amarinder Singh, the former chief minister of Punjab, joined the BJP after merging his party - the Punjab Lok Congress (PLC) - with the saffron camp.

The veteran Congress leader, who quit the grand old party after his unceremonious exit as Punjab chief minister over differences with the top party leadership ahead of the state elections earlier this year, was inducted into the BJP by law minister Kiren Rijiju in the presence of agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar.

"Captain has always held the country over the party. I am very happy that today his Punjab Lok Congress has merged with the BJP. I welcome him and his followers to the party. We are all aware that Punjab is a border state. Security of border states is paramount since it is connected with the security of the nation. Hence, it is imperative to ensure there is security in Punjab," Tomar said, welcoming the heavyweight leader to



the BJP.

"BJP is such a party which always places the country over the party. Captain followed this throughout his life. That is why he is sitting with us," he added.

Singh, who recently returned from London after undergoing spinal surgery, met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah several times in the last two weeks.

Following his meeting with Shah on September 12, Captain spoke about their very productive discussion on various issues related to national security, rising cases of narco-terrorism in Punjab and the future roadmap for the state's overall holistic development.

Singh had conveyed his intention to merge his party with the BJP before leaving for London, according to senior Punjab BJP leader Harjit Singh Grewal. The former chief minister would announce the merger upon his return from London, Grewal had said in July.