Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Saturday condemned Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Sukhpal Singh Khaira for extending his support to the Sikh Referendum 2020 propounded by Sikh radicals for the creation of Khalistan.
Terming Mr. Khaira’s statement favouring the Referendum unfortunate, Captain Singh said the Leader of the Opposition seemed to be indulging in his usual political theatrics, without any sense of the history of Punjab or realisation of the possible consequences of his statement or act.
“Punjab and its people suffered for years due to the secessionist and separatist movement unleashed by the radicals,” he said. AAP central leadership, led by Mr. Arvind Kejriwal, should state whether they backed Mr. Khaira’s statement.
Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee president Sunil Jakhar demanded Mr. Khaira’s immediate removal as Leader of Opposition in the Vidhan Sabha and his resignation as MLA.
However, Mr. Khaira clarified that while he did not agree with the 2020 referendum, he had no hesitation in admitting that Sikhs had been constantly persecuted and discriminated against by successive Central governments. They had been pushed to the brink to demand a separate homeland.
The Punjab AAP said the party did not directly or indirectly support ‘Referendum 2020.’ “The party does not support any activity against the unity and federal structure of the country,” said AAP Punjab co-president Balbir Singh in a statement. Mr. Khaira’s remarks about ‘Referendum 2020’ could be his personal view, he said. The party would seek clarification from him.