Gandhi backs demand by Khaira for AAP autonomy

Ravneet Singh

Tribune News Service

Patiala, September 9

Former Leader of Opposition and AAP rebel leader Sukhpal Singh Khaira shared the stage with party MP Dr Dharamvira Gandhi during the party’s district-level volunteers’ convention on Sunday.

Khaira said Dr Gandhi was invited to the convention as he had represented the issues of the state’s people in Parliament. He added, “We will bring together like-minded people from various parties together in the state soon. Besides, we will hold a meeting of various leaders in the state. We will give the state government an ultimatum of 40 days to register an FIR against those responsible for sacrilege and will organise a rally if they don’t act in time.”

Dr Gandhi, who had recently attended former Congress leader Jagmeet Singh Brar’s rally, suggested that the AAP leadership should accept the demands of autonomy laid down by Khaira and his supporters. He added, “The party’s Delhi leadership uses and then throws away party volunteers and workers.”

The convention, organised to interact with party workers and volunteers, criticised the Delhi leadership’s actions during the 2017 Assembly elections.

Mansa MLA Nazar Singh Manshahia, Bhadaur MLA Pirmal Singh, Maur MLA Jagdev Singh Kamalu and newly joined leader Harmeet Singh Pathanmajra were present at the convention. Navjot Kaur Lambi, star campaigner of the AAP during the Assembly elections, expressed discontent at the treatment meted out to party volunteers by senior leaders in Delhi.

Meanwhile, AAP co-convener Dr Balbir Singh termed the joining of Independent leader from Sanaur Harmeet Singh Pathanmajra as “unacceptable”. Pathanmajra joined the Khaira group on September 6. He said the rebel group was itself not toeing the line of party national convener Arvind Kejriwal. On Pathanmajra’s joining, Khaira said, “We represent the Aam Aadmi Party. Pathanmajra has joined the party.”