PostBargari success, Khaira group to hold ‘insaaf march’ in December

NEXT COURSE Khaira says 8day event will be held jointly with likeminded people after panchayat polls

A month after the Bargari march received a tremendous response, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) dissidents on Monday announced “Insaaf March” from Talwandi Sabo to Patiala in December to demand justice for the victims of sacrilege and police firing incidents and raise other burning issues.

Bholath MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira, who heads the dissident group and was suspended from the party two days ago, said the eight-day march would be organised jointly with like-minded groups and individuals after the panchayat polls to give voice to growing resentment against the failures of the Congress government in the state.

“We will get in touch with (Lok Insaaf Party MLAs) Simarjeet Singh Bains and Balwinder Bains, Patiala MP Dr Dharamvira Gandhi, Panthic organisations, farmers’ unions and probably also the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) to bring them along and give it a broader perspective by raising issues of all Punjabis,” he said at a press conference here after a meeting of the dissident group’s political affairs committee (PAC).

The announcement came two days after Khaira and Kharar MLA Kanwar Sandhu were suspended by the AAP for “antiparty activities”. They were accompanied by Bhadaur MLA Pirmal Singh, Garshankar legislator Jai Kishan Rori, Maur MLA Jagdev Kamalu and Jaitu MLA Baldev Singh.

Khaira said the protest march would also focus on burning issues such as farmer suicides and unemployment to try and wake up the Captain Amarinder Singh-led Congress government in the state. “The exact dates and schedule of the march will be announced after our next meeting,” he said.

Asked about the progress made on formation of a political front to give the people of Punjab a “third alternative”, the Bholath legislator said they would hold talks with likeminded people and will not be able say something before the march. The dissident group has been toying with the idea of setting up a front or an alliance with Bains brothers, Gandhi’s Punjab Manch, Panthic parties and the BSP.

Asked if he was in touch with Akali dissidents Ranjit Singh Brahmpura and Rattan Singh Ajnala with regard to the formation of a political front in the state, Khaira said he had phoned Brahmpura to congratulate him for speaking out against Shiormani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal.

‘SUSPENSION NOT AS PER AAP CONSTITUTION’

The AAP dissidents dubbed the suspension of Khaira and Sandhu as “unconstitutional”, saying that it was not in accordance with procedure prescribed in the constitution of the party. Sandhu said he and Khaira had neither got any notice nor were given any opportunity to answer the charges before their suspension from the party.

“As per the 21-page AAP constitution, an MP, MLA or officebearer has to be given proper opportunity to reply to the charges before any disciplinary action is taken against him or her,” he said.

The Kharar MLA said the state core committee, which decided to suspend them, was also illegal as the party structure has no provision of any such committee. He said only a threemember state disciplinary committee and party lokayukta could initiate action. “We (dissident leaders) have decided to set up a state disciplinary action committee and appoint lokayukta to take on the core committee head and members for violating the party constitution,” he said.

Minutes later, Khaira named Sandhu, Pirmal Singh and Karanjit Kaur as the disciplinary panel members with Dr KS Aulakh, former vice-chancellor of Punjab Agricultural University, as lokayukta. “The core committee members will be held guilty and action taken against them,” he said.

The protest march will also focus on burning issues such as farmer suicides and unemployment. The dates will be announced after our next meeting. SUKHPAL KHAIRA, Bholath MLA