Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) quivering ship in Punjab, it seems, is making for the shore. In its first attempt, AAP managed to win back one of its eight ‘rebel’ legislators, besides taking on board a former judge who had headed a government’s commission on sacrilege cases.
AAP’s Punjab unit has been a divided house after the party’s Delhi leadership ‘unceremoniously’ removed Sukhpal Khaira from the post of the Leader of Opposition in the Vidhan Sabha in July.
Soon after, eight MLAs including Khaira, revolted against the party causing a vertical split in the party, and have only recently joined hands with party’s “suspended” MP Dr Dharamvira Gandhi, Bains Brothers’ Lok Insaaf Party, BSP, besides others to announce a Punjab Democratic Alliance (PDA).
However, the new week bring some good news for AAP as Justice (retired) Zora Singh, who had headed a commission to probe incidents of sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib in Punjab during the SAD-BJP regime, joined the party on Monday. Besides, ‘rebel’ MLA from Garhshankar Jai Kishan Rori too re-joined the party.
Rori had reportedly distanced himself from the Khaira group from the recent past, not participating in their rallies and meetings. He was not even seen during the rebel group’s ‘Insaaf March’, and other public activities of the group.
With Rori joining AAP’s official group, it has gained the strength of 13 MLAs, with the rebel faction reduced to seven.
“I have sorted out the differences with the leaders and will now work to strengthen the party in the state,” said Rodi.
He said that to aware the people of Punjab about work done by AAP’s Delhi government will be his responsibility so that the people can know about the intentions of the party.
It has been learnt that differences cropped up between Rodi and Khaira over their future, while apparently led to his decision to part ways with the rebel faction.
At the same time, Justice Zora Singh’s joining AAP would give the party chance to take on SAD-BJP, and on the Congress as well as over the issue of sacrilege incidents.
“He is the one who looked into all the cases and know so much about the issue which would be useful for the party as the Congress is exploiting this issue against the SAD and the Badals ahead elections, while Congress itself is also to be blamed for not acting against the culprits till date,” a senior AAP leader told The Pioneer.
Notably, AAP MLA and known advocate HS Phoolka had released Justice Zora Singh Commission report before the SAD-BJP government.
Justice Zora Singh Commission of Inquiry, set up by the then Akali-BJP government to probe sacrilege incidents, had submitted its report on June 30, 2016. Rejecting Justice Zora Singh panel’s report as “inconclusive”, Capt Amarinder Singh government had set up the Justice Ranjit Singh Commission of Inquiry in April 2017, soon after coming to power.
Both Justice Zora Singh and Rodi formally joining AAP in the presence of party’s national convenor and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Sangrur MP Bhagwant Mann, Leader of Opposition Harpal Singh Cheema, MLA Amarjeet Singh Sandoa, among others, in New Delhi.
Justice Zora Singh said that he chose to join AAP because of its pro-people policies and he was impressed with the work done by AAP in the field of education and health. “I hope that I will be able to contribute to make the society a better place to live while working with AAP,” he said.
Serving in the field of judiciary for 35 long years, Justice Zora Singh remained uncontroversial during his service.
Regarding sacrilege cases, Justice Zora Singh said: “I had submitted the detailed report to Badal government, but no action was taken on that by Badal government. Even the Capt Amarinder Singh government did not bother to take action against Badal in the cases of desecration.”
Welcoming Justice Zora Singh into the party, Kejriwal said that his joining will further strengthen the party and AAP will work hard to meet the aspirations of the people of the state.
Mann said that had the Congress Government implemented the recommendations of Justice Zora Singh Commission, “the then Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal, the then DGP Sumedh Singh Saini, and other people responsible for desecration would have behind the bars today”.
However, AAP’s “suspended” MLA Sukhpal Khaira described the development as “adding zero to zero and getting a zero”.
“Discredited Justice Zora Singh’s induction into AAP only shows its political bankruptcy,” he said adding that the Badals very conveniently used Zora Singh to shield guilty police officers responsible for the killings of two Sikh youth at Behbal Kalan and the guilty of sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib through “this dummy judge who played to their tunes for petty remunerations as head of the Zora Commission”.
Khaira said the Commission’s findings were so irrelevant that neither the Badals nor Capt Amarinder took any cognisance. “He is a typical example of retired judges willing to sign on dotted lines of the government’s merely for few lakhs of salary, car, security etc,” he added.
Mincing no words, Khaira said: “Justice Zora Singh is a discredited man in Punjab. Therefore, I term this as an act of political bankruptcy on the part of AAP.”