AAPheaval: No split in Punjab, for now

Jupinderjit Singh

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 18

With the national unit of the Aam Aadmi Party and 16 leaders from Punjab, including 10 MLAs, firm on keeping the party intact under the stewardship of Arvind Kejriwal, the crisis in the Punjab AAP over Kejriwal’s apology to Akali leader Bikram Singh Majithia seems to have blown over, for the time being.

However, a divide in the AAP legislature party is apparent with only half of the 20 MLAs choosing to attend the meeting with the party national convener in Delhi on Sunday. Kejriwal also rejected the resignations of state chief  Bhagwant Mann and co-president Aman Arora, Sunam MLA. Mann did not attend the meeting.

Kejriwal is reported to have told the MLAs that he did not want to be entangled in legal cases in an election year. “I have not given a clean chit to Majithia or anybody else,” he is quoted to have said.

Arora ruled out a split in the party, claiming their “fight against drugs and the role of politicians will continue”. He said he would ask CM Capt Amarinder Singh to order a probe into the politicians’ links with drug peddlers.

“The apology hurt party men, but they understand that his rivals are deliberately entangling him in court cases,” he explained. On being kept in the dark, he said Kejriwal attributed it to “communication gap”.

Kejriwal will reportedly hold another meeting with the group led by Sukhpal Khaira. The latter said he would consult his colleagues.

Among those who attended the meeting were Arora, Deputy Leader of Opposition Sarvjit Kaur Manuke, KS Sandhwan, AS Sandoya, Baljinder Kaur, HS Cheema, Principal Budh Ram, Rupinder Kaur, Jai Krishan Singh Rori and MS Phillaur.