AAP rebels slam new appointments, want them scrapped for further talks

CHANDIGARH : A day after leaders of the two warring factions met, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) dissident leader Sukhpal Singh Khaira accused the party’s state leadership of “double standards and insincerity” by appointing 14 office-bearers while having talks for unity in the state unit.

Khaira said the “pro-Delhi AAP leaders” participated in peace talks with his group’s fivemember coordination panel and then unilaterally announced 14 new office-bearers, including heads of three wings, three district presidents and eight constituency presidents, at the same time. “Is this the way to unity? We will have the next round of talks only when these appointments are scrapped. They have time till November 1,” he told reporters after a meeting of the ‘political affairs committee’ of the rebel group.

Khaira said these appointments showed the intention and was a reflection of how sincere they were about the unity talks. Khaira’s salvo came hours after AAP leadership and dissident camp had agreed that the two sides will not criticise or speak against each other in public.

DISSIDENTS FAILED TO KEEP THEIR WORD

Reacting sharply to Khaira’s statement, AAP legislature party deputy leader Sarabjit Kaur Manuke, who heads the party’s coordination committee, said the two sides had agreed to refrain from speaking in public against each other, but they could not hold on for 24 hours.

“The names of new officebearers were decided in a meeting of the core committee that was held three hours before our meeting with them (dissidents). If Khaira cannot stand by a decision on which all members of his coordination team had agreed, he should then lead the talks himself,” she said.

‘NO COMPROMISE ON BATHINDA RESOLUTIONS’

Sandhu, who had led the rebel group in talks, said though there was no bar on making fresh appointments, they (AAP state leaders) should not have named new office-bearers on principle. “We are ready with list of 26 ad hoc presidents of district urban and rural units, but decided to hold it back. They should not have made new appointments,” he said.

The Kharar MLA said, “We will not wait beyond November 1. We will be forced to form our own organisational structure, up to the booth-level,” he added. Sandhu said they (dissidents) had in Tuesday’s meeting reiterated their demand for scrapping of the existing organisational structure, including the resignation of leader of opposition Harpal Singh Cheema.

› We will have the next round of talks only when these appointments are scrapped. They have time till November 1.

SUKHPAL SINGH KHAIRA, AAP dissident leader