“Aim to seek autonomy for State Unit”: Sandhu

Chandigarh, July 31:

Preparations for the Punjab AAP Volunteers Convention at Thermal Plant Sports Stadium in Bathinda on August 2 are in full swing.

Briefing media persons, senior AAP leader and Kharar MLA, Mr. KanwarSandhu, said here today that they had to shift the earlier venue (from a Resort) to the Stadium on Goniana Road due to the enthusiasm and outpouring of support from volunteers across the State. He said that besides all MLAsof the Party in the state and various office bearers of the state unit, invitations had also been extended to Party Convener and Delhi Chief Minister, MrArvindKejriwal, Deputy CM and incharge of the party in Punjab, Mr Manish Sasodia and other office bearers.Mr. Sandhu was also joined in the briefing by another AAP senior leader, Mr. Gurpartap Singh Khushalpur from Gurdaspur.

The immediate trigger for the Convention was the unceremonious removal of MrSukhpal Singh Khaira as Leader of Opposition through a tweet, despite his stellar roll in and outside the VidhanSabha. Mr. Sandhu said that they wanted to ensure that the system of decisions being taken in Delhi without taking the Punjab unit into confidence is reversed. He recounted how first the then State Conveners, Sucha Singh Chotepur and Gurpreet Singh Ghughi and now Sukhpal Singh Khaira were removed unceremoniously.

The Kharar MLA said that majority of MLAs feel that unless autonomy was granted to the Punjab unit to take its own crucial decisions on the sacred soil of Punjab, justice to the people of the state can’t be done. “We are not rubber stamps that decisions are taken and then thrust upon us, the result of which has been catastrophic for the party. This has resulted in derailing the Legislative Wing, which had been functioning exceptionally well, “ he said.

Discounting talks of the Convention being “Anti-Party”, Mr. Sandhu, said that such talk was a part of disinformation being spread to discredit them. “How can a Convention of Punjab Volunteers on Punjab’s soil be anti-Party,” he asked? The Convention would try and give a sense of direction to the volunteers who have been directionless, confused and demoralized for the past one year due to lack of a party structure in the state and certain wrong decisions by the Party High Command, Mr. Sandhu said. “The aim is to prevent the downward slide of the Party seen especially after the 2017 VidhanSabha polls during the GurdaspurLokSabhaand Shahkotbypolls,” he added.

Earlier, a group of eight MLAs led by Mr. Khaira and including Mr. Sandhu, MrNazar Singh Mansahia, Mr. Baldev Singh, Mr. Jagdev Singh Kamalu, MrJaggaHissowal, Mr. Pirmal Singh and Ms. RupinderKaur Ruby had traveled to Delhi on the invite of Mr. Sasodia on Sunday. They were joined by four others, Mr. Meet Hayer, MrManjit Singh, Mr Jai KrishanRori and Mr. Kulwant Singh. Mr. HS Phoolka also joined them for a while. They asked for reversal of the order on LOP while Mr. Sasodia wanted the August 2 Convention to be cancelled. However, the stormy meeting ended in a stalemate.