A day after Punjab Congress chief Capt Amarinder Singh accused Sukhpal Khaira who has joined the Aam Aadmi Party from Congress, as an opportunist, the newly inducted AAP leader retaliated saying the Congress leader is suffering from selective dementia.
During his visit to Bholath Assembly segment on Monday, Capt Amarinder had accused Khaira, his former colleague as an opportunist who had backstabbed the party and vowed to teach him a lesson.
“It appears Capt Singh is suffering from selective dementia and very conveniently prefers to forget blatant opportunism and arm-twisting tactics adopted by him, to usurp the office of President PPCC,” Khaira said in a statement on Tuesday.
He said if switching from political parties is opportunism, then no one has done better than Capt Singh, keeping his political track record since 1980’s in mind.
listing the details, Khaira said Capt Amarinder first quit the Congress in 1984 and joined the Shiromani Akali Dal headed by Sant Harchand Singh longowal. In 1986 he quit the SAD to join a breakaway group of 27 legislators headed by Parkash Singh Badal. In 1992 ignoring the call for boycott of
Assembly polls, Capt. Singh floated his own Panthic Akali Dal to contest the elections. later he became a part of the Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar). Capt. Singh
once again turned to Badal in 1997 to seek a ticket from Talwandi Sabo, which was denied to him.
“Having failed to find political fortunes in Akali politics, Capt. Amarinder returned to the Congress fold in 1998 and was appointed President PPCC, after losing the Patiala lok Sabha. After a five years stint as Chief Minister, Capt. Singh lost two consecutive assembly polls of 2007 and 2012 as a leader,” Khaira said.
He said it has been an old habit of Capt. Amarinder to withdraw to comfortable luxurious life whenever the party suffered humiliating defeats, only to return as leader in the run up to polls by armtwisting techniques.
“He has willfully and purposely ensured that no other person could succeed as President PPCC, be it Shamsher Singh Dullo, Mohinder Singh Kaypee or Partap Singh Bajwa. He has blatantly indulged in gross indiscipline and raised a banner of revolt not only against the state leadership, but even challenged the authority of Rahul Gandhi,” the AAP leader and former MlA from Bholath said.
Khaira claimed, “On the contrary, I have unconditionally joined a movement against corruption to cleanse India initiated by Arvind Kejriwal, without any lust for office”.
On Capt Amarinder’s alleged threats to teach Khaira a lesson, the AAP leader said, “let me tell Capt. Singh that I am not a coward who will be intimidated by such empty threats of his. Does he consider himself to be a self styled godIJ If at all he has to teach a lesson (“soot karunga”) someone, let it be his coterie and himself, who are behaving like feudal lords and humiliating party cadres.”
Daring Capt. Amarinder Singh to an open debate on the issue of morality and opportunism in politics, Khaira said he needs to introspect within self before accusing others, as “he is a master of political opportunism, a perfect arm-twister and his sole aim is lust of power and nothing else”.