With its leaders courting controversies, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Punjab apparently does not need enemies. Almost everything the party has done in the recent past has boomeranged and is haunting it. Be its MP Bhagwant Mann attending Parliament in high spirits or his live streaming of House proceedings or comparison of holy scriptures with its manifesto, the party has been spoiling its prospects in the State.
Political observers believed that the hype created by the former parliamentarian Navjot Singh Sidhu’s proposed move to join AAP has virtually come to a naught following the series of controversies.
AAP, which at one point of time was considered as a force to reckon within Punjab after it defied nationwide Modi wave to win four seats out of 13 in the State during 2014 lok Sabha polls, has gradually lost the steam by apparently wooing one controversy after another.
Perceived to be a rising force in Punjab, AAP’s popularity has forced the traditional political parties — the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress — to amend their strategies accordingly.
However, the back-to-back self-goals by the AAP has provided enough ammunition to its rivals, who have all along been criticising it for lacking experienced and mature leaders.
Of late, AAP leaders, descended from Delhi and other parts of India, have proved that they have little idea of the social and cultural ethos of Punjab and left no stone unturned to embarrass the party.
While the party was targeted for superimposing its election symbol ‘broom’ over the image of Sikhs; holiest shrine, the Golden Temple; a journalist-turned-AAP leader Ashush Khetan raised the storm by equating the holy scriptures, including Guru Granth Sahib, with party’s youth manifesto. He is facing case in Amritsar for hurting religious sentiments.
To repent the same, AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal performed a dramatic sewa at the Golden Temple to apologise for the mistakes committed by his party leaders.
What is more! One of its MlA in Delhi has been booked for his alleged involvement in sacrilege case of Quran in Punjab’s Malerkotla.
And when the spotlight was shifted to the BJP for atrocities against the Dalits, and Sidhu’s expected joining to the AAP gave it a fresh bout of energy, its controversial MP Bhagwant Mann secured another self-goal by posting an 11-minute video in which he passed through various security barriers and gates of the Parliament to going inside the premises, on his Facebook page, besides the House’s proceedings.
Its rival political parties have been targeting the AAP for the immaturity of its leaders who claim to be an alternate political power in sensitive border state of Punjab, for which security has also been a critical issue.
And what its MP from Sangrur did a day before, has raised a series of question over party’s choice of selecting candidates, to be further elected as representatives of the people. It, apparently, give credence to oft-quoted statements made by the rivals on the party lacking experienced leaders.
Mann’s act has raised a question of trust over the party and its leaders. Its rivals are sure to exploit the issue for political gains.
Even as the Sangrur MP has “unconditionally apologised” to Speaker Sumitra Mahajan, she has made it clear that action would be taken against him, and she is discussing it with all parties.
Notwithstanding the punishment, the issue has already blow out of proportion, much to Mann and AAP's embarrassment.