Referendum issue: Khaira finds NRI support but Delhi leadership remains miffed

Jupinderjit Singh
Tribune News Service 
Chandigarh, June 20

As Aam Aadmi Party’s NRI supporters rally behind Punjab Leader of Opposition Sukhpal Khaira, the remainder of his party remains upset with him over his remarks on ‘Referendum 2020’, with the party’s national convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal refusing to meet him on Wednesday.

Beleagured Khaira, currently in Delhi to meet senior AAP leaders, later approached Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, the person in-charge of the Punjab unit's affairs. Party leaders who wanted to remain unnamed said Sisodia wanted him to come clean.

"Sisodia lashed out at Khaira while telling him that AAP has nothing to do with his referendum thoughts. He was also asked by Sisodia, to explain his stand through the Punjab unit president of the party," said a party leader.

Delhi leaders are believed seething at Khaira. Sources in the party said that the party might take a decision once they receive his written response.

NRI support

Khaira, however, found support among the party’s NRI base, which wrote an open letter to Sisodia.

The letter, signed by 36 NRIs from USA, Canada, Europe, Australia and New Zealand, among other countries, said Khaira’s demand for justice for Sikhs was justified, and demanded Balbir Singh be immediately removed for issuing media statements without getting Khaira’s version of story. They also cited the party’s Shahpur bypoll defeat as reason for sacking him.

Balbir said in a tweet on Monday that his calls to Khaira to ask for his side of the story went unanswered.

Last week, Khaira is reported to have “supported” ‘Referendum 2020’—a secessionist movement for a separate Sikh homeland. News reports quoted him as saying: “"I support the Sikh referendum 2020 movement as Sikhs have the right to demand justice against atrocities suffered by them". Khaira later clarified that he was misquoted, and that he had only said that Sikhs had the right to demand justice.

Khaira’s statement provided another weapon to rival parties, who immediately demanded his dismissal.

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh condemned Khaira for “backing secessionism”, prompting Khaira to respond with a tweet: “"I am surprised a leader of your level is tweeting against me without checking the facts, I am not a votary of 2020 but I don't hesitate to point out a consistent policy of discrimination against Sikhs by Central governments! Be it attack on Darbar Sahib (or), genocide of Sikhs leading to 2020".

Senior Shiromani Akali Dal leader Harsimrat Kaur Badal, a union minister, demanded that AAP should immediately sack him.

The timing of the controversy has caught the AAP’s Delhi leadership—which was busy until recently with Delhi Chief Minister Kejriwal's sit-in at the Lt Governor’s office over its tussle with the bureaucracy—off guard. With PTI