Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in a flux ahead of Sukhpal Singh Khaira’s rebel convention

Chandigarh, Aug 1: The Punjab unit of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) continued to be in a flux on Wednesday ahead of a convention by the ousted leader of Opposition Sukhpal Singh Khaira in Bathinda town on Thursday. While the Khaira camp said that they were getting a good response from party legislators and workers, those owing allegiance to the Aam Aadmi party central leadership dubbed the event as an “anti-party” activity. Senior AAP leader and newly appointed leader of Opposition Harpal Singh Cheema termed the alleged ‘AAP Convention’ as an “event sponsored by SAD-BJP-RSS and Bains brothers”.

“It has nothing to do with Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia, and others. The convention is an anti-Dalit event,” Cheema said in a statement. “The state, as well as the national leadership, would have welcomed the convention if it was scheduled to raise the voice of Dalits, farmers, unemployed and against mafia of every kind,” he said.

Cheema maintained that Bains bothers, Simarjit Singh and Balwinder Singh of AAP ally Lok Insaf Party (LIP), are “experts in playing politics of opportunity and trying to break AAP”. Cheema admitted that a few leaders of AAP have come under the influence of Bains and trying to kill their own party. Warning party leaders and workers to stay away from the convention, he said that verdict of the people of Punjab should be respected.

With its Punjab unit facing a crisis, the AAP on Tuesday blamed the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Bains brothers for trying to split the party. The Aam Aadmi Party central leadership had picked up Dalit leader Harpal Singh Cheema as leader of the Opposition after the sudden removal of Khaira from the post. (IANS)