Sukhpal Singh Khaira (Express photo)
AAP Volunteers from across Punjab, particularly from Doaba region, braved the rain to attend a convention organised by dissident MLAs of AAP led by AAP MLA from Bholath (Kapurthala) Sukhpal Singh Khaira at Garhshankar in Hoshiarpur Saturday.
All the eight dissident AAP MLAs attended the convention. Speakers raised the issue of Punjab’s water and targeted the “dictatorial attitude” and “flawed policies” of AAP leaders from Delhi. They also reiterated the “autonomy” of AAP’s Punjab unit.
They claimed that with such conventions, a campaign to “rectify the mistakes” of the party and to establish it as a strong “third front in Punjab” had begun.
Khaira said, “Today’s gathering is proof that the people of Punjab still want a third front in the state as they are fed up with Akalis and Congress.”
“In the past, whenever any third front tried to come up in state, such as BSP, Akali Dal Mann, PPP and AAP, people had wholeheartedly supported them including AAP which got four MPs from Punjab in 2014 Lok Sabha election,” said Khaira.
“In Punjab now, nothing is in order: be it the safety of women, security of farmers, employment to the youth and industry,” he said.
On Punjab’s water, he questioned why Congress or SAD governments have not charging for water given by the state to Haryana and Rajasthan.
Kharar MLA Kanwar Sandhu said they (dissident MLAs) were not against their party but its internal policies wherein leaders from Delhi are “interfering unnecessarily and committing mistakes by taking anti-Punjab decisions.”