Aapology row: Delhi or Chandigarh? Kejriwal’s invite underlines divide
CHANDIGARH: The invitation by Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) central leadership to its Punjab unit leaders and MLAS for a meeting with convener Arvind Kejriwal in Delhi on Sunday has ended up highlighting a divide over his apology to Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Bikram Singh Majithia in a defamation case. Most of the 20 MLAS of the party, which is the main opposition in the state assembly of 117, have decided that the “high command” should instead come to Chandigarh to explain his position.
Among those not going are senior leaders such as Sukhpal Singh Khaira, who is leader of opposition in the assembly, and MLAS Kanwar Sandhu, HS Phoolka and Nazar Singh Manshahia. “Why should we go ? Galti vi oho karan, te bulaan vi sanu Delhi nu? (First they make the mistake and now want us to visit them in Delhi!). Most of us are not going,” said Khaira.
However, three of the legislators, Amarjit Singh Sandoa, Baljinder Kaur and Kultar Singh Sandhwan, met Kejriwal in Delhi on Saturday. “He told us that he is tendering apologies in all defamation cases, including the one filed by Union finance minister Arun Jaitley, because he thinks fighting these cases is a waste of time and needs huge amount of money as lawyers’ fee,” said Sandhwan. These three were among the seven MLAS who did not participate in a meeting on Friday evening where the others
› Why should we go? First they make the mistake and now want us to visit them in Delhi! Most of us are not going. SUKHPAL SINGH KHAIRA, leader of opposition in Punjab assembly
decided against going to Delhi, it’s learnt. Others absent were Aman Arora, Sarvjeet Kaur Manuke, Harpal Cheema and Phoolka. While Phoolka said he is not going due to a private engagement in Bathinda, Manuke and Cheema could not be contacted.
Arora said he will attend the Delhi meeting “so as to know what pushed our national chief to tender an apology”. “Let him explain. Only then can we draw any inference,” said Arora, who resigned as co-president of the state unit in protest against the apology. But Sandhu said he was hopeful Arora would also not go: “I had a word with him on Friday and he was of the opinion that the high command should come to the MLAS.” Manshahia too said the leadership should respect the larger sentiment and hold a meeting in Chandigarh.
Amid this, Sangrur MP Bhagwant Mann, who resigned as state unit president in protest on Friday, is of the opinion that there is “no harm” in meeting Kejriwal in Delhi. “We should at least listen to what he has to say about reasons behind his apology,” he said.
The central leadership on Saturday made calls to invite most of the MLAS to Delhi for what is being seen as a show of strength in favour of Kejriwal. Delhi deputy CM and party’s Punjab affairs in-charge Manish Sisodia invited MLAS and senior leaders. Sandhwan claimed, “By Sunday morning all MLAS, barring six or seven, will be ready to meet Kejriwal in Delhi.”
› There is no harm in meeting Kejriwal in Delhi. We should at least listen to what he has to say on reasons for his apology. BHAGWANT MANN, Sangrur MP, who has quit as Punjab AAP chief
CHANDIGARH: PUNJAB chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh on Saturday dismissed as “an antic” his Delhi counterpart Arvind Kejriwal’s apology to Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Bikram Singh Majithia, who has since withdrawn a defamation case against the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convener for making allegations related to illicit drug trade.
Amarinder said the apology not only reflected Kejriwal’s political inexperience but also appeared to be a desperate attempt to reduce the burden of defamation cases against him before the 2019 Lok Sabha elections; “but the fact was that things had changed for the worse for him”.
In conversation with journalist Vir Sanghvi at TV18’S Rising India Summit in Delhi, Amarinder said that Kejriwal is always “jumping here and there”. “I don’t know why he does that but this is no way for a chief minister to behave, irrespective of his lack of experience,” he said.
“No government can function in isolation but Kejriwal has completely isolated himself,” said the Congress leader, adding that the AAP has completely lost ground in all states.
On AAP’S future in Punjab, where it is the main opposition party, he said its legislators are disappointed and are looking for alternatives to safeguard their future.
Further, about the national political scene, Amarinder expressed optimism that the Congress will form the next government at the Centre, either on its own or in a coalition with likeminded
› Kejriwal is always jumping here and there. I don’t know why he does that but this is no way for a chief minister to behave, irrespective of his lack of experience.
CAPT AMARINDER SINGH, CM
parties.
Asked about the mood in the Congress following the Tripura results and the subsequent bypoll results in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, he said all political parties had their ups and downs. The Congress might be down at the moment but that does not mean it will always remain down, he said.
“The TDP’S decision to disassociate from the NDA a year before the Lok Sabha elections shows disenchantment in the ruling coalition, and the prevailing mood of the nation, which is looking at a UPA sort of alliance as an alternative,” he added.
On Congress president Rahul Gandhi as the prospective PM, Amarinder said he saw this to be an absolute possibility and that Rahul will make a good PM.