Olympian removed as SP ‘ because wife joined AAP’

Condemning the forcible removal of Gurmail Sigh, the husband of Olympian Rajbir Kaur — who has recently joined AAP — the party termed it another example of “cheap politics” by the Akalis.

Releasing a joint statement, the in- charge of AAP’s affairs in Punjab, Sanjay Singh, and the chairperson of the campaign committee, Bhagwant Mann, said that the Akalis are getting frustrated with the massive support that AAP is getting from the masses in Punjab. They said that while the NDAled Union government indulged in such “tactics” earlier, now the Akalis are doing the same and are playing “cheap politics”.

“Since Rajbir Kaur is an active leader of the party, her husband was politically targeted by the Akalis and did not even spare hockey Olympian Gurmail Singh, who brought laurels by winning the sole gold medal for Indian hockey team in 1980,” the AAP leaders alleged.

Mr Singh — who was in the 1980 hockey team that brought home an Olympic gold, a silver medal at the 1982 Asian Games and a bronze medal in the 1982 Champions Trophy — was posted as commandant of the 80th battalion of the Punjab armed police, Jalandhar.

He was made to retire, citing an old case against him while he was posted as SP in Moga. Sanjay Singh said that the SAD already senses a defeat in 2017 and is targeting those who join AAP.