Chhotepur rules out return to ‘party of conspirators’

CHANDIGARH: Former state convener of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Sucha Singh Chhotepur on Wednesday said he will not go back to the party till those who “conspired” against him are still there in it.

Talking to HT a day after he was approached by AAP Punjab affairs in-charge Sanjay Singh to move towards reconciliation, Chhotepur said he had burnt his bridges with the party that tried to “kill” him “politically”.

“Sanjay Singh came to meet me on Monday night. In fact, I am being approached to reconcile by someone or the other from their camp every day. But I have made my stance clear. I will not work for a party that has in it persons who tried their best to end my political career. It is only because of the guru’s grace that I was saved by my supporters and volunteers,” he said.

Refusing to name anyone specifically, Chhotepur said AAP that stood for the cause of humble ordinary men had been handed over to a “power-drunk man” in Punjab, who thought everyone was servile to him. “Even the most hardworking people, both elderly and youngsters, were disrespected and dismissed like servants,” he said.

When asked if there was any chance of reconciliation in future, he said: “Even today when I think of the conspiracy they hatched to end my reputation, I am filled with a strong sense of hurt. These greenhorns running the party should have realised that I am not using AAP to make money. I thought they would appreciate the fact that I have not taken a single penny from the party’s central pool and managed to hold fort for over two years using resources gathered from my supporters. Instead, they used the cheap tactic of sending a person, well known to me, taking advantage of my openness and get the so-called video made. It felt like being stabbed by a brother.”

Chhotepur said he will be going to pay obeisance at the Golden Temple on September 3. “After that I will tour the entire state and meet volunteers who support me and take their feedback,” he said on his future course of action.

Asked what if the supporters urge him to go back to AAP, he said: “I will do whatever they ask me to. But right now they are equally agitated about the way AAP has treated me.”