Drug convict joined BJP, got clicked with Amit Shah: Virsa Singh Valtoha

JALANDHAR: A day after former Lok Sabha deputy speaker Charanjit Singh Atwal’s son and former SAD MLA Inder Iqbal Singh Atwal joined BJP in Delhi in the presence of two Union ministers and later called on Union home minister Amit Shah, Shiromani Akali Dal on Monday claimed that a man who was arrested with 23kg heroin and later convicted in the case, was present at the joining.
Former SAD MLA Virsa Singh Valtoha on Monday posted on his Facebook page that when Atwal was inducted in the BJP, the supposed convict, Parshotam Sondhi, also joined the saffron party and he was welcomed in it by Union home minister Amit Shah, BJP president J P Nadda, Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri, and former Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani.
He wrote that Sondhi came out two years ago after serving jail term of 12 years. “Shah may not be aware of this, but it is not possible that antecedents of those who met the home minister were not checked. If he has been inducted in the BJP, despite knowing his background, ony God can save... If BJP leaders were not aware, Atwal and Sondhi should be thrown out of the BJP and it should act against those who facilitated their induction,” Valtoha posted.
Apart from posting pictures, he also posted a video of the event with a marker on Sondhi’s presence on the stage and BJP leaders inducting him in the party.
Meanwhile, there was embarrassment in BJP circles. Sources in the saffron party said there was strong likelihood of Atwal being fielded for the Jalandhar Lok Sabha seat bypoll, but this controversy had put the party leadership in dilemma.
When contacted, Atwal said though Sondhi was there along with several others from Jalandhar, he had nothing to with his presence. “He joined BJP on his own and I have no role in his induction,” he said.