HS Phoolka wants to revert to an Anna-like stir

NEW DELHI: At a press conference called on Friday to explain why he was quitting the Aam Aadmi Party, advocate and former member of the Punjab legislative assembly HS Phoolka said he was interested in a movement similar to the one started by activist Anna Hazare in 2011 that eventually led to the formation of AAP. He said such a movement should create an organisation that would call a spade a spade, but refused to comment when asked if AAP no longer called a spade a spade.

He characterised turning Hazare’s movement into a political party as wrong and added that the numerous people who had left AAP should join social workers, including lawyers and doctors, to form a non-political organisation parallel to political parties.

The former leader of the Opposition in the Punjab assembly also disclosed that he would not contest the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. He emphasised that he took this decision even though “people tell me that I can win from any Lok Sabha seat in Punjab due to my role in the conviction of Congress leader Sajjan Kumar in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots case”.

Party insiders claimed Phoolka had resigned as leader of the Opposition in Punjab to focus on his fight for the riot victims and wasn’t actively involved in the day to day affairs of AAP’s state unit. The advocate resigned as MLA in October last year. And though his resignation hasn’t been accepted by the Speaker yet, he has ruled out reconsidering his resignation.

On Thursday, when asked if AAP not passing a resolution in Delhi assembly asking the Centre to strip former PM Rajiv Gandhi of the Bharat Ratna was a factor in his decision to quit the party, Phoolka had said that was not the only reason why he was leaving.

The buzz in the political circles is that Phoolka could join BJP, perhaps fuelled by Union minister Vijay Goel recently saying, “I will organise a function on January 13 to felicitate Phoolka for his role in getting justice for the victims of the anti-Sikh riots.” Speculation is rife that he is disenchanted at the possibility of a Congress-AAP tie-up prior to the general elections, but Phoolka refused on Friday to react to such conjectures.

Phoolka has been opposed to any move by AAP to enter into an alliance with Congress for the coming Lok Sabha polls and has in past also stated that he would part ways with the party if it ever decided to fight jointly with Congress. Phoolka has been a pillar of support for the party in Punjab. He unsuccessfully contested the 2014 Lok Sabha polls from Ludhiana after joining the party, but was elected to the Punjab assembly from Dakha in 2017.