The ongoing crisis in the Aam Aadmi Party’s Punjab unit continued on Saturday, with MLA H.S. Phoolka pitching for “independence” from Delhi, while the party’s State convenor Manish Sisodia invited the disgruntled MLAs to meet in the Capital on Sunday.
After Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal apologised to former Punjab Minister and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Bikram Singh Majithia on Thursday, for accusing him of being involved in drug trade, the Punjab unit of the AAP protested.
The president and co-president, Bhagwant Mann and Aman Arora respectively, resigned from their posts on Friday.
On Saturday, Mr. Phoolka said that the Punjab unit of the party should seek autonomy from the national party.
“In best interest of Pb, my suggestion to Pb AAP MLAs — demand autonomy, not a separate party. AAP Punjab should function as a regional party with a alliance with national AAP. In Punjab matters, total independence & on national issues, go by national leadership. (sic),” he said in a tweet.
Meanwhile, Mr. Sisodia has invited the party legislators for a meeting at his residence on Sunday, where Mr. Kejriwal is likely to be present, according to party sources in Delhi.
Sukhpal Singh Khaira, the AAP’s Leader of Opposition in the Punjab Assembly, said he would not be attending the meeting.
Mr. Khaira had, at a meeting of MLAs on Friday, said that any meeting about issues pertaining to Punjab should take place in Chandigarh, not in Delhi.
According to a source in Delhi, Mr. Sisodia would be willing to go to Chandigarh after March 28, as the Delhi Assembly is in session till then.
Leaders meet Kejriwal
Meanwhile, three Punjab MLAs — Amarjit Singh Sandoa from Ropar, Baljinder Kaur from Talwandi Sabo and Kultar Singh Sandhwan from Kotkapura — met Mr. Kejriwal in Delhi on Saturday.
Mr. Sandoa said, “I met Kejriwal today [Saturday]. I asked him why he did this [tendering apology to Majithia]. But, I was not satisfied with his reply as he talked about several court cases that are going on. I said we are fighting a war against drugs.”
Mr. Arora said that he would ask Mr. Kejriwal about why he decided to apologise and would not comment on whether he supported a move to break away till he heard his explanation.
(With PTI inputs)
