Khaira playing with Dalit sentiments: SAD

In a frontal attack for allegedly humiliating and subjugating the Dalit community in the State and the nation, Shiromani Akali Dal senior leader and former Minister Gulzar Singh Ranike on Sunday accused the Aam Aadmi Party ‘rebel’ MLA Sukhpal Khaira of playing with the sentiments of the scheduled caste and backward classes.

He said that Khaira’s anti-dalit stance stood exposed as he was not willing to accept a Dalit as the leader of the opposition in Punjab Vidhan Sabha. “A party like AAP, which took pride in accepting social change, suddenly has done a volte face and is stooping to stalk and troll woman MLA of AAP on social media…Its regressive politics being pursued by a leader who projects himself as a modern citizen of the State,” said Ranike.

Asking for an immediate apology from Khaira to the Dalits and women in the State, Ranike said that “for petty political gains, Khaira has jettisoned his morals and principles”.

Dubbing the incident of false and malicious propaganda against AAP’s woman MLA, he said that it was unfortunate that Khaira had stooped down for his self propagation.

Meanwhile, the former finance Minister Dr Upinderjit Kaur regretted that Khaira and Kharar MLA Kanwar Sandhu showed no moral courage to stand against national leaders of their party when aspiring women candidates of AAP were being exploited and molested. “Suddenly, after being shown the door, the duo has taken a high moral ground,” she alleged.