In controversial remarks, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Sukhpal Khaira on Monday said that Mother Teresa truly deserved the sainthood bestowed upon her “unlike our fake sadhus and sants”.
“I salute Mother Teresa for her contribution to humanity n poor. She truly deserved 'sainthood' unlike our fake sadhus and sants,” Khaira tweeted, on microblogging website — Twitter.
Quick to correct himself, Khaira, on a subsequent tweet, sought to clarify his earlier tweet, saying, “I'm against fake sadhus spreading superstitions.”
“I have not said anything about real sadhus and sants nor have I taken anyone's name. I am only talking about those fake ones who only play with the sentiments of people and spread superstition,” said Khaira, who had left Congress to join the AAP last year.
The former MlA from Bholath, however, downplayed the developments in AAP's Punjab unit following sacking of senior leader Sucha Singh Chhotepur, who was removed from the post of the party's state convenor after a video clip surfaced showing him allegedly taking bribes in exchange for poll tickets.
Khaira claimed that the support base of AAP was intact and the party was evoking good response in public meetings being held at various places in the state ahead of the 2017 Assembly polls.
“These developments are like a ‘churning’ process. They have happened at the top. There is talk about these in the media, in the statements (being given by political opponents), but at the ground level, the base of AAP is fully intact. We continue to get huge response in our rallies,” he said.
Khaira also rubbished media reports that he was 'overlooked' by AAP after the party appointed Gurpreet Singh Ghuggi as Punjab's new convener a day before. “These things are just media creation,” he said.
About allegations that non-Punjabis were calling the shots in AAP's state unit, Khaira said: “There are some issues which we are raising on the party platform. I have talked to Arvind Kejriwal about this. We are discussing within the party fora, but I cannot say in the media what exactly is being discussed."
Khaira added that the party will get a further boost when AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal visits the poll-bound state on September 8. “We will also hold a big rally during his visit,” he said.