For days, the trouble within the Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP) Punjab unit was a matter of speculation. But, developments during the past 48 hours have made it clear that all is not well within the party. A day after reports surfaced that the party's Patiala MP Dr Dharam Vira Gandhi had announced to quit as AAP member, his close aide on Friday denied the "contents" of the letter Dr Gandhi wrote to party chief and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal. "He had written the letter to the party national convener Arvind Kejriwal a few days ago…may be three or four…but the contents that were published in news reports are not what he has written," Dr Gandhi's close aide told The Pioneer, as the parliamentarian refused to talk to the media.
In a related development, party's senior state leader Prof Manjit Singh has also raised a banner of revolt against the AAP's Punjab convener Sucha Singh Chhotepur. A day after Chhotepur "suspended" Prof Manjit, he lashed out at the state convener for "acting at the behest of Delhi Durbar". Terming his suspension as "violation of AAP's constitution", Prof Manjit said neither the matter was forwarded to the party's disciplinary committee nor a show-cause notice was issued to him.
In fact, he said, he has, so far, "not received any notice or suspension order from the party”. Reacting, Chhotepur made it clear that the party would adopt a "zero-tolerance" policy towards any kind of indiscipline, whoever he may be, irrespective of the position. "Any indiscipline or anti-party activity would be dealt with strictly…People in Punjab voted for party and not any individual…They are not above party," said Chottepur.
The developments assumes significance as AAP was considered as the force to reckon with in Punjab after it won four seats after drawing blank in the rest of the country. Its historic clean sweep in Delhi assembly polls had also sent alarm bells ringing in the respective camps of major political parties in the State. The rebellion within, by the senior party leaders, also stand significant as Dr Gandhi defeated the Congress stalwart and four-time MP Preneet Kaur in her citadel in the 2014 lok Sabha elections. His victory, along with that of other three - Bhagwant Mann from Sangrur, Harjinder Khalsa from Fatehgarh Sahib, and Prof Sadhu Singh from Faridkot - was being seen as the party's first step towards establishing its regime in Punjab.
However, with things going awry in the party's top leadership in Delhi, its Punjab unit has now felt the ripples. The day AAP's national executive expelled its senior leaders — Prashant Bhushan and Yogendra Yadav — Dr Gandhi supported them, and had attacked the party leadership for "subverting" the foundational principles of democracy. According to reports, Dr Gandhi, in his letter to Kejriwal, had complained against the "slander" campaign against him, and also offered to "resign" from all party's posts.
"He would not talk to the media for a couple of days, as he is right now preparing a report. As so much is going against him in the media, he is discussing things with the high command," said his close aide, while refusing to disclose who the "high command" he was referring to. On the other hand, Chhotepur maintained that neither he has yet approached the party's national convener regarding Dr Gandhi's letter, nor Kejriwal has talked to him. "I have not received any letter yet. I read everything in the newspapers," he said. At the same time, Chhotepur justified his decision to suspend Prof Manjit Singh by saying that he was making statement against the party on news channel. "He would get the letter by today," he said. Prof Manijit was the former spokesperson of the party's Punjab unit. He was also the member of the screening and campaigning committee in the state during the lok Sabha polls.
lashing out at Chhotepur for "dictating" decision, Prof Manjit said he acted like the governor of medieval times and only at the mercy of Delhi Durbar. "I have not received any written communication or order. He has just given his farmaan (verdict) in a press conference. This is against party's constitution," he said. Prof Manjit said that he was suspended for "speaking out" against the removal of Yadav and Bhushan in "an unconstitutional way" and the manner they were humiliated by the party. "I came to know about the action against me only through the media," he said. "They should forward the matter to the Disciplinary Committee headed by Dr Daljit Singh, after which he has to issue me a show-cause notice. Any such decision is to be recommended by the State executive that has not met even once since past nine months," said Prof Manjit.
The party has called a meeting of the state executive committee of Punjab and its 22 district in-charges on April 6 which will be presided over by AAP's senior leader Sanjay Singh, the party's central observer for the state. The developments also did not go down well with party's another leader state leader Bhai Baldeep Singh, who had contested from Khadoor Sahib parliamentary seat, as "unconstitutional" and against the established norms of the party. "The decision should have been come through the state executive committee and the disciplinary committee. He should have been given a show-cause notice. But they have disregarded every single norm," he said.