Chhotepur sacked as AAP Punjab chief over charges of indiscipline

NEW DELHI: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) removed Sucha Singh Chhotepur as its Punjab convener over indiscipline charges on Friday evening. The decision was taken during a meeting of the party’s high-powered Political Affairs Committee (PAC), which met at national convener Arvind Kejriwal’s house to discuss corruption charges against Chhotepur.

The PAC also referred the matter to a disciplinary committee of Delhi MLA Jarnail Singh, who was appointed Punjab co-convener last week, and Jasbir Singh Bir. Hours before the PAC meeting, a rebellious Chhottepur had charged his party colleagues with conspiring against him and staging a sting operation in which he is allegedly shown accepting cash in lieu of providing party ticket.

Sources within the AAP said the PAC discussed a 12-minute recording of Chhottepur’s recent meeting with Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia, in which he is said to have confessed to accepting cash from a man seeking a ticket.

Sources in the party claimed that the Punjab leader had also apologised to Sisodia for the episode.

“We have zero per cent tolerance against corruption,” Sangrur MP Bhagwant Mann said after the PAC meeting.

He said the party had received complaints that Chhotepur had demanded money in exchange for providing tickets and added that the party will now probe into the allegations.

AAP leaders believe the action against Chhotepur will help the party in poll-bound Punjab, where corruption is one of the main political issues.

Twenty-one senior party leaders from Punjab had written to Kejriwal on Thursday, seeking investigation into the charges against Chhottepur and demanded “exemplary action” against him.