Sukhpal Singh Khaira said that AAP will hold a “Peoples’ March” from Kotkapura to Behbal Kalan to Bargari on October 7 to press the state government to ensure justice on the basis of the Justice Ranjit Singh Commission report. (File)
In order to resolve the internal differences within Punjab state unit of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), a five-member committee has been constituted, former Leader of the Opposition Sukhpal Singh Khaira announced Tuesday. The five members will hold discussions with other members to resolve the differences over autonomy for the state unit and other matters.
The five members chosen for the task are Kanwar Sandhu, Nazar Singh Mansahia, Baldev Singh, Jagdev Singh (all MLAs) and Suresh Sharma. “The basis of talks, if any, with our party colleagues will be the six resolutions passed at the AAP Volunteers Convention at Bathinda on August 2,” Khaira said. He said that despite announcements in the media, none of the seven MLAs with him have been approached so far by the “Delhi loyalists”.
Khaira also said that AAP will hold a “Peoples’ March” from Kotkapura to Behbal Kalan to Bargari on October 7 to press the state government to ensure justice on the basis of the Justice Ranjit Singh Commission report. He added that it was unfortunate that both the Congress government led by Captain Amarinder Singh and the Shiromani Akali Dal led by Sukhbir Singh Badal were holding “competitive rallies” to deny justice on issues of religious sacrilege on October 7 in Lambi and Patiala, respectively. “We appeal to the people to give both, Congress and SAD, a befitting reply,” he said.
MLA Kanwar Sandhu released copies of an”open letter” that the leaders have written to Capt Amarinder Singh demanding a special session of Vidhan Sabha to discuss issues of farmers and farm labour, including suicides, debt relief and state policy for farmers.
MLA Nazar Singh, who was a member of the Vidhan Sabha Committee on Farmer Suicides, rued the fact that despite their painstaking work for more than six months, the report and 69 recommendations of the Committee had not even been discussed in the House. He said that the government should call a session of the assembly and present the Action Taken Report on the recommendations.
Sandhu said that their party has also demanded compensation of Rs 20,000 per acre for the farmers whose crops had been damaged due to unseasonal rains during the last three days.
AAP NRI Chapters revived
Kanwar Sandhu said that they had decided to revive all 43 NRI Chapters of the party abroad. These chapters were disbanded by the Overseas Convener of the Party a few weeks ago. Sandhu said that the earlier decision of the party disbanding the chapters was taken without consulting them. “Since NRIs from Punjab had contributed majorly to the party in the past, the PAC decided to revive them. In August, dissident legislators of the Aam Aadmi Party’s Punjab unit had formed an eight-member ad-hoc Political Affairs Committee (PAC) for the state.
“Wherever such NRI Chapters don’t exist, they would be constituted,” he said. “The PAC also decided to give three members of the NRIs representation in the PAC as ‘special invitees’. The NRI Chapters abroad will be requested to give us the three names,” Sandhu added.