Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) state convener Sucha Singh Chhotepur on Sunday rejected the Shiromani Akali Dal’s claim of being a ‘Panthic’ party.
Calling Baba Kharak Singh, Master Tara Singh, Mohan Singh Tur and Sant Harcharan Singh Longowal “true Akalis”, Chhotepur attacked Badals for being businessmen and following dynastic politics.
The AAP leader was here to inaugurate a party office in Bassi Pathana. He also met party workers in Fatehgarh Sahib and Amloh.
“If Badals are true Akalis, they should ask Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and not Arvind Kejriwal, about his stand on the Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) canal issue,” he said. Chhotepur said Kejriwal was clear on the issue and the party would never favour the division of waters with Haryana.
Chhotepur also targeted the state government for its failure to “find culprits of Guru Granth Sahib sacrilege and Bargari incident”. “The huge gathering at our conferences in Maghi and Baisakhi melas proved that people do not consider SAD ‘Panthic’ anymore,” he said.
Welcomes ‘free publicity’ for AAP
Taking a dig at Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi for dismissing the AAP challenge in Punjab, Chhotepur said: “He was right. The Congress and SAD have set a level of dirty politics for each other. Neither we can nor do we want to stoop down to that level.”
He also welcomed the “free publicity” being accorded to the AAP by the two parties through “baseless accusations”.
{{/usCountry}}He also welcomed the “free publicity” being accorded to the AAP by the two parties through “baseless accusations”.
{{/usCountry}}On being asked about a number of SAD and Congress leaders joining the AAP, Chhotepur said no one had been promised a ticket or a party position. “I convey these conditions to them at the onset. If they agree to these, they join us as volunteers only,” he said.