Contrary to the expectations of taking the SAD-BJP coalition Government head on during his Punjab visit on Wednesday on the issue of deteriorating law and order, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convener Arvind Kejriwal choose to maintain silence, strategically.
The Delhi Chief Minister held 30-minute-long closed-door meeting with the Sikh preacher Ranjit Singh Dhadrianwale, who recently escaped a murderous attack, at his headquarters Gurdwara Parmeshwar Dawar in Patiala.
Even though he was expected to address the media after the meeting, and target the ruling dispensation on varied issues, including multi-crore wheat scam, and worsening law and order. However, Kejriwal preferred to keep mum, and skipped the media interaction.
It is believed that Kejriwal did not want to be confronted on the issues of internal strife in the state unit of AAP, reports of AAP disgruntled volunteers forming their separate party, AAP’s poor show in Delhi’s civic body polls, among other things.
Party’s spokesperson, without divulging the details of the meeting, maintained that AAP convener inquired about Dhadrianwale’s health and took first-hand information about the attack.
In the incident, that took place on May 17 in ludhiana district, Baba Dhadrianwale’s aide Bhupinder Singh Khalsa was shot dead as they halted at the venue of a road-side ‘chhabeel’ put up by the assailants as a part of a conspiracy to kill the Sikh preacher. Kejriwal, who came by train and left by air for the national capital, assured Baba Dhadrianwale that his party and the government would support him in his endeavour to get justice.
AAP Punjab convener Sucha Singh Chhotepur, senior Supreme Court lawyer HS Phoolka and AAP spokesperson Sukhpal Singh Khaira were among those who accompanied Kejriwal to Gurdwara Parmeshwar Dawar.