Hindustan Times (Chandigarh)

After Bargari boost, Khaira to float new front ‘for Sikhs’

- Sukhdeep Kaur

CHANDIGARH: Riding high on public support to his October 7 march to Bargari to show solidarity with radical Sikh organisati­ons — seeking action on Justice Ranjit Singh (retd) Commission report on 2015 sacrilegea­ndpolicefi­ringincide­nts which left two Sikhs dead — rebel Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Sukhpalkha­irahasdeci­dedtofloat his new front ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

The move may set off political tremors in Punjab as AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal will be forced to expel Khaira and seven other MLAS supporting him. It will reduce the main opposition party, which has 20 MLAS in the state assembly, to the third slot, presently occupied by the Akali DAL-BJP alliance which has 17 MLAS.

Khaira has been openly challengin­g Kejriwal’s authority after being ousted as leader of opposition in June. He is now seeking to steal a march on Akalis, Congress and the AAP on the Panthic agenda.

“The Badals and their Panthic agenda stands exposed. Somebody has to be there for the Sikh community. We will be their voice. The upsurge of people at Bargari on Sunday has proved people of Punjab no more trust the traditiona­l parties,” said

REBEL AAP LEADER TO USE SACRILEGE REPORT AS LAUNCH PAD, TO INVITE BSP, LEFT PARTIES ON BOARD TOO

Khaira.

Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh and former chief minister Parkash Singh Badal too had held parallel mega rallies in each other’s bastions on the same day and traded allegation­s on the sacrilege report.

Asked if he has burnt bridges with the AAP, Khaira said there has been no sincere effort from the party to mend fences. “People trusted the AAP as a third alternativ­e but it too has failed miserably. The same AAP leaders who opposed my participat­ing in the Bargari sit-in as leader of opposition, now went and sat there. The party is bereft of any ideology.”

PUNJABORIG­IN HALEY WAS THE FIRST WOMAN TAPPED BY TRUMP FOR A TOPLEVEL ADMN POST AFTER BECOMING PREZ

 ??  ?? Sukhpal Khaira
Sukhpal Khaira

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