New Delhi: Charged with amassing property disproportionate to his known sources of income, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal rushed to New Delhi on Saturday to meet senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders and enlist their support for continuing in office.
A local court in Punjab on Friday ordered framing of charges against Badal, his wife Surinder Kaur, MP son Sukhbir Singh Badal and seven others in disproportionate assets case.
Badal first met former prime minister Atal Behari Vajpayee. Then the chief minister's cavalcade drove to Prithviraj Road to meet Leader of Opposition LK Advani followed by a visit to the residence of BJP president Rajnath Singh.
Asked if Badal should step down, the BJP president said there was "no reason for him to resign."
On the BJP's persistent demand seeking the resignation of charge-sheeted ministers in the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government, Rajnath said: "No one can hide the fact that there are charge-sheeted ministers in the UPA government, whose cases are pending in different courts."
However, he termed Badal's case "a result of political vendetta of the previous Congress government in Punjab".
The BJP has all along been taking a high moral ground, attacking Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his UPA government for inducting charge-sheeted politicians in his council of ministers.
On Monday, the BJP has to face parliament when members of UPA are expected to raise a demand for Badal's resignation, said a Punjab Congress leader.
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