In further trouble for AamAadmi Party (AAP) in Punjab, 16 party leaders have resigned en masse in protest against the ‘dictatorial attitude’ of AAP Punjab’s co-president Dr Balbir Singh.

Dr Singh have been running the state unit since March after LokSabha member Bhagwant Mann resigned from the post of party’s state president to protest against the apology offered by AAP convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to Shiromani Akali Dal leader, Bikran Singh Majithia in a drug case.

The AAP high command had given Dr Singh the responsibility of forming the organisational structure. But apparently some of the appointments made by him have not gone well with section of the party leaders who feel he is undermining dedicated party workers in such appointments to party posts in order to place his own men on the same.

In one such case pointed out by Dr Singh’s detractors, he had removed Patiala (rural) president, Gian Singh Mungo, who – rebels says – was working selflessly for the party since its inception.

The 16 AAP leaders who sent their resignation to party supremoKejriwal and  party’s Punjab affairs in-charge Manish Sisodia include five district presidents, six halqa in-charge and two general secretaries, PradeepMalhotra and Manjit Singh Sidhu.

Malhotra said Dr Singh has crippled the party with his dictatorial attitude and is hurting party volunteers by arbitrarily removing dedicated workers from various posts.

Dr Singh, however, denied having received any resignation letter. But the latest crisis is likely to further dent the morale of party workers who have rarely seen top AAP leaders in the state speak in one voice and justify party’s position as main Opposition party in Punjab Assembly.

Most of the leaders who have tendered the resignation belong to the group led by leader of Opposition and legislator, Sukhpal Singh Khaira. Dr Singh and Khaira had recently contradicted each other on party’s stand on “Referendum 2020″ propounded by Sikh radicals for the creation of Khalistan.

After Khaira expressed support for Referendum 2020”, Dr Singh had issued a statement saying that AAP did not support what Khaira had said and that an explanation will be sought from him on his statement.

Meanwhile the unit, Dr Singh on Monday appointed 14 new state general secretaries as observers of 40 Assembly constituencies besides  districts presidents for Jalandhar rural and Tarantaran.

The AAP state co-president said all appointments have been made in consultation with the senior party leaders.