Punjab’s main Opposition party, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is set to witness a big faceoff within the party on Thursday with its rebel members of legislative Assembly (MLAs) holding a volunteers’ convention in Bathinda and others making every effort to make it unsuccessful.
The man leading the rebel MLAs (nine), Sukhpal Singh Khaira – whose sacking as leader of Opposition by AAP high command has led to the latest rebellion – on Wednesday urged remaining MLAs to see the writing on the wall and join them in the convention on Thursday.
Besides review of the decision to sack Khaira, the rebel group is also seeking autonomy for the state unit. They intend to use the convention as show of strength to prove majority MLAs, officer bearers and volunteers are with them. The rebel group has already indicated intention to form a Third Front in Punjab to taken on the Congress and Shiromani Akali Dal-Bharatiya Janata Party (SAD-BJP).
The newly appointed leader of Opposition in Punjab Assembly and MLA, Harpal Singh Cheema, however, termed the alleged ‘AAP Convention’ at Bathinda as an event sponsored by SAD-BJP, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and former AAP ally Lok Insaaf Party’s Bains brothers.
He said the Bathinda convention has nothing to do with AAP leaders Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia whose pictures were used in the posters used for the publicity of the convention. Besides Kejriwal and Sisodia, these posters had pictures of AAP’s two members of Parliament including Bhagwant Mann and four MLAs including HS Phoolka who are yet to declare their support for the rebel group publically.
Terming the use of AAP’s national leaders for confusing party workers as ‘illegitimate’, Cheema, a Dalit, also termed the convention as anti-Dalit event.
Khaira said opponents within AAP and outside are making every effort to fail the convention. “Our (rebel group) opponents are getting afraid of the huge public support we are getting across Punjab. That’s why in past 48 hours, a false propaganda has been launched to paint us as the agents of the government (Congress), the RSS and the BJP. But we are people’s agents and will raise the issue of injustice done to us (Punjabis),” Khaira said in a Facebook video.
In the same video, AAP’s Kharar MLA Kanwar Sandhu alleged in past 72 hours, a conspiracy has been hatched against them but it will be given a reply at the Bathinda rally.
Meanwhile, Punjabi actor Gurpreet Singh Waraich (Ghuggi), who was the convenor of Punjab unit of Aam Aadmi Party during Assembly polls has openly come out in support of Khaira and accused AAP leadership in Delhi of crushing Punjab unit’s voice every now and then.
“I fought for Punjab but was unsuccessful. The reason for this was that the people with whom we were fighting for Punjab were not having good intentions. I feel sorry for this and also feel sorry that whenever someone raises a strong voice in favour of Punjab, his voice is silenced,” he said while calling upon AAP workers to support Khaira.