Former Rajya Sabha member Avinash Rai Khanna slams AAP

Former Rajya Sabha Member Avinash Rai Khanna has accused the political party being formed by detainee Amritpal Singh of being a “B-team” of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), claiming its intent is to destabilise the state.

Speaking to The Tribune after attending a BJP meeting in Phagwara on Saturday, Khanna, alongside former BJP President Tejaswi Bhardwaj, also criticised the AAP-led state government for its handling of the farmers’ agitation.

He said the government had failed to address the problem effectively, adding lawlessness and a deteriorating law and order situation were major concerns for the state.

Earlier, Khanna presided over a district-level BJP meeting in Phagwara, which was attended by the district BJP president, Ranjit Singh Deol Khojewal, former Union Minister Som Parkash, former Mayor Arun Khosla and block president Anurag Mankhand.

During the meeting, Khanna discussed the ongoing BJP membership drive, emphasising the importance of enrolling 50 new members to become an active member of the party. He said only those who meet this requirement would be eligible to take up party posts.

Khanna pointed out the current membership numbers in the 17 Mandals of Kapurthala district were low and urged BJP activists to focus on boosting recruitment efforts. He set a target of enrolling at least 100,000 members from the district to strengthen the party’s presence.

Khanna urged local BJP members to actively campaign for the membership drive and work towards expanding the party’s base in the region.