Defiant MLAs to hold show of strength in Bathinda on Aug 2
The AAP copresident didn’t work as party leader. He worked as an agent of national AAP leaders, and of the Cong and the SAD. I appeal to party MLAs, officebearers and workers to attend the convention. SUKHPAL SINGH KHAIRA, AAP MLA
All eyes are on the show of strength announced by Bholath MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira and eight other Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLAs in Bathinda on August 2 (Thursday).
Khaira, who held a press conference here on Friday with eight supporting legislators in tow, said that the volunteers’ convention would be held to discuss the crisis triggered by the party’s decision to remove him from the post of leader of opposition and decide the future strategy. He also appealed to all party MLAs, office-bearers and workers to attend the convention, raising hackles of the party leadership.
AAP state unit co-president Balbir Singh said that the central leadership would take the call on demands of Khaira and other MLAs as they had sent a letter to national convener Arvind Kejriwal. “The move to hold a convention is not done. It is the prerogative of the party leadership, not a group of MLAs. I will call a meeting with the zonal president in the next 3-4 days to discuss the issue,” he told HT.
Earlier, Kharar MLA Kanwar Sandhu, who also quit the post of spokesperson of AAP legislature party, said the crisis was caused by sudden removal of Khaira without talking to him or stating the reasons.
“The democratic process was not followed. Anguished by the decision, a number of officebearers have offered to quit their posts,” he said.
Echoing a similar view, Mansa MLA Nazar Singh Manshahia said the party had removed Khaira when efforts were being made to iron out differences in the party.
The process followed was not proper as MLAs were informed that the party had decided to remove Khaira and were told to sign on the dotted line, he said.
KHAIRA PLAYED OPPORTUNISTIC POLITICS, CLAIMS SAD
The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) has condemned AAP leader Sukhpal Khaira for playing opportunistic politics on 1984, drugs and corruption in a pathetic attempt to remain relevant after being sacked as leader of opposition.
Party spokesperson Maheshinder Singh Grewal said, “It was shocking that a person who was a product of corruption and had grown to riches from rags was talking about principles and the need to fight corruption after being accused of the same by his own party men.”
Stating that Khaira had staged a drama to befool people at his press conference on Friday, Grewal added. “He must clarify why he remained with the Congress and wined and dined with the likes of Sajjan and Tytler after the army attack on Sri Darbar Sahib and massacre of Sikhs in 1984.”
“Why did you never condemn the army attack on Sri Darbar Sahib or the 1984 genocide and only remembered it now as a cover-up exercise after being caught endorsing the secessionist, ‘Referendum 2020’, which seeks to break up India?,” Grewal questioned.
He added, “You remained an active part of the Congress and tended to worhip the Gandhi family for more than twenty years before joined AAP on the eve of the 2017 assembly polls.”
The Akali leader said even more astonishing was Khaira’s attempt to give himself a clean chit in an international drug trafficking case in which he had been described as a king-pin and even summoned as an accused by a court. “It is condemnable that Khaira had tried to give an impression that court judgments against him had been procured,” Grewal added.