Kejriwal defends LoP move, slams Bains brothers for insulting Cheema

CHANDIGARH:A day after talks with nine defiant legislators failed to end the crisis in the party’s state unit, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday defended the appointment of Dirba MLA Harpal Singh, a Dalit face, as the new leader of opposition (LoP) in the Punjab assembly.

He also slammed Lok Insaaf Party (LIP) MLAs Simarjeet Bains and Balwinder Bains, onetime alliance partners of the AAP, for allegedly insulting the new leader of opposition. “Bains brothers (as the two MLAs are known) have disgusting views towards the Dalit community. It is extremely shameful. Bains should seek forgiveness from the entire Dalit community. BJP, Congress, Akali Dal and Bains, all have such views. It is against this mindset that the AAP has made a Dalit the new leader of opposition,” Kejriwal posted on Twitter.

Simarjeet had referred to Cheema as AAP’s ‘pappu’ (fool). His defence of Cheema’s appointment in place of Bholath legislator Sukhpal Singh Khaira comes after eight party MLAs demanded that the decision should be rescinded immediately. The MLAs, including Kanwar Sandhu (Kharar), Nazar Singh Manshahia (Mansa), Jagdev Singh Kamalu (Maur), Pirmal Singh (Bhadaur), Jagtar Singh Hissowal (Raikot), Master Baldev Singh (Jaitu), Rupinder Kaur Ruby (Bathinda Rural) and Jai Kishan Rori (Garhshankar), have refused to accept Cheema, terming the procedure adopted to remove Khaira “arbitrary and undemocratic”.

Khaira and his supporting MLAs, who have raised a banner of revolt, were called to Delhi on Sunday for a meeting with Kejriwal, but he did not show up, leaving it to his deputy Manish Sisodia, in-charge of party affairs in Punjab, to end the crisis. Both sides remained adamant and failed to make any headway.

The two LIP legislators are staunch supporters of Khaira and have been accused by Punjab unit co-president Balbir Singh of attempts to break the party in the state.

In a tweet on Monday, AAP’s Kharar legislator Kanwar Sandhu said: The two parties, @AamAadmiParty and @LokInsaafParty fought the 2017 polls together and hopefully could join hands again to fight the Congress and the Akali Dal onslaught and loot. Current differences apart, let us hold our horses and not criticise one another.”

Khaira,whoturneddownSisodia’s request to call off the August 2 “volunteers’ convention”, made an appeal on social media to all Punjabis to reach Bathinda. The event is being seen as a show of strength by the Khaira group.

Though the state leadership has warned the MLAs and workers against attending the convention, Khaira and his supporters are using pictures of all top central and state leaders in their posters for the event.