Lok Insaf Party breaks alliance with AAP over Kejriwal apology

Chandigarh, March 16

The Lok Insaf Party on Friday announced to break its alliance with the Aam Aadmi Party in Punjab in the wake of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s apology to a SAD leader for accusing him of being involved in the drug trade.

Kejriwal tendered the apology to former minister Bikram Singh Majithia yesterday for levelling charges of involvement in drugs trade against the former minister.

“We have announced to break our alliance with the AAP. We cannot be associated with a party whose main leader meekly surrendered by tendering apology to former minister Bikram Singh Majithia,” LIP leader and MLA Simarjeet Singh Bains said here today.

• Kejri apology to Majithia: Punjab AAP chief Mann, co-president Arora quit
• STF has 'found evidence' of Majithia’s involvement in drug trade: Sidhu
• Apology shows Kejriwal weak, says AAP’s Sukhpal Khaira
• Kejri says sorry to Majithia, AAP irked
• Kejriwal has 'murdered' AAP in Punjab: Sidhu

Bains also called Kejriwal a “traitor”, alleging that he “betrayed” Punjabis by tendering an apology.

“He is a fraudster. He accepted funds from Punjabis and also promised to punish Majithia. And now he tendered an apology which is a biggest fraud with Punjabis. Therefore we ended alliance with AAP,” he said.

However, he said he will continue to support “at personal level” 14-15 AAP MLAs out of 20 who are working in the interest of Punjab.

The AAP and the LIP had entered into an alliance six months before the Punjab Assembly polls held in February last year.

In his apology, Kejriwal said he had now learnt that his allegations were unfounded.

Earlier in the day, Sangrur MP Bhagwant Mann resigned as the AAP’s Punjab chief protesting the apology.

The Delhi Chief Minister’s apology drew flak from his party’s other leaders and MLAs in Punjab, who said they were “stunned” by the move and “disappointed” as Kejriwal had not kept them in the  “loop”. — PTI