Hindustan Times (Chandigarh)

AAP must be wary of Bains brothers: New leader of oppn

- HT Correspond­ents

SANGRUR/CHANDIGARH: New leader of opposition in the Punjab assembly, Harpal Singh Cheema, on Saturday termed Lok Insaaf Party (LIP)’S Bains brothers as opportunis­ts and appealed to his party MLAS and workers to beware of the two.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader said Balwinder Singh Bains and his younger brother Simarjeet Singh Bains have no credential­s as they have changed their party loyalties nine times in their political career.

“Balwinder started his political career with SAD (Amritsar) led by Simranjit Singh Mann and then joined SAD (Badal). Then they joined hands with AAP but during this alliance they voted for the National Democratic Alliance (NDA)’S presidenti­al candidate,” Cheema told HT.

“AAP will not take any disciplina­ry action against party MLAS or leaders who supported Sukhpal Khaira who is like my elder brother,” he said.

Rejecting the claim that he has been appointed as the leader of opposition due to his proximity to AAP’S Delhi leadership, he said the party wanted a face who could raise Dalit issues. The lawyerturn­ed-politician said the AAP will challenge the court verdict in the Amritsar land ‘scam’ in which chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh got relief on Friday.

Meanwhile, senior AAP leaders, including co-president Balbir Singh, on Saturday issued a statement accusing the Bains brothers of trying to break AAP in Punjab. They said while in an alliance with AAP, the Bains brothers violated the terms of alliance. “Even in meetings, Bains brothers tried hard to make our MLAS join their party but the latter rejected it.”

WE’VE NO ALLIANCE WITH AAP: SIMARJEET

LIP chief Simarjeet Bains said they broke the alliance with AAP the same day when Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal apologised to former Punjab revenue minister Bikram Majithia over drug allegation­s. new leader of opposition Harpal Singh Cheema terming him and his brother as opportunis­ts, he said, “I don’t want to comment on the statement of a ‘Pappu’ who has no ability.”

 ??  ?? Harpal Singh Cheema
Harpal Singh Cheema

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