Things do not appear to be going the right way for the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Punjab. Its another leader deserted the party alleging large scale corruption.
Harjit Singh Adaltiwala, AAP’s Backward Class Wing president, on Thursday left the party and returned to the Shiromani Akali Dal saying that he was “feeling suffocated” as the party was sliding deep into corruption of worst order and had completely deviated from its lofty ideal of bringing probity in political life.
He alleged that he was given choice of 10 seats to get party ticket and he chose Rajpura for himself but later he was asked to give Rs 1.25 crore for the ticket.
Adaltiwala, who contested Patiala bypoll against former Union Minister Preneet Kaur as AAP candidate, said that he did not say no to the proposal and recorded the conversation for some days and he has all the evidence to prove his charges.
Embracing the SAD at New Delhi in presence of party president and Deputy Chief Minister Punjab Sukhbir Badal, Adaltiwala described it “homecoming” after having strayed and languished in AAP for couple of years.
Adaltiwala had joined AAP on the eve of 2014 lok Sabha polls and was subsequently fielded by the party as its nominee during by-election when Patiala assembly seat fell vacant.
AAP elevated him to his present status of president of its Backward Class wing and made a member of its finance committee.
Adaltiwala said that during his short stint in AAP, “I was completely disillusioned as the gap between their promises and actions is increasing alarmingly…While AAP talked of eradicating corruption and role of money power in politics, they sold tickets to highest bidder, resorting to fund collection for everything and had constituted a special team to collect money form ticket aspirants”.
He alleged that huge money to the tune of Rs ten to Rs 25 lakhs was treated as non- refundable as many of the ticket seekers were denied tickets.
Adaltiwala also confirmed reports of sexual exploitation of the women ticket seekers saying that some visiting AAP leaders stayed with them and had sought unusual favours.
“I was feeling totally suffocated as none listened to party workers. Though publically, the party claims that volunteers of the party are supreme, but in actual practice, they are treated with disdain and contempt and the party’s standard practice was to use and throw volunteers,” he said.