Punjab unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday stated that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) was maintaining silence on ‘Referendum 2020’ posters as its senior leader and MlA HS Phoolka is associated with the US-based organisation Sikhs for Justice.
Coming down heavily on AAP, the state BJP secretary Vineet Joshi said: “AAP is known for holding press conferences over petty issues, but till now, it hasn’t issued even a single press note condemning ‘Referendum 2020’. It seems that by choosing to remain silent, AAP is supporting malicious campaign which threatens to derail peace, brotherhood and communal harmony in Punjab.”
Joshi said that SFJ’s website clearly shows that AAP legislature party leader HS Phoolka and AAP leader and advocate Navkiran Singh were associated with the organisation, and both have been the members of committees formed by the SJF.
Questioning AAP leaders, Joshi said: “Why is AAP associated with people or organizations which are anti-national and want to break Punjab into piecesIJ”
“Before Punjab elections, AAP stood with ‘Sarbat Khalsa’ organized by Simaranjit Singh Maan ignoring Sikh tenets and principles. AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal met the parallel Jathedar appointed by the so-called ‘Sarbat Khalsa’, he met Panj Pyaras who were suspended by the SGPC and stayed at the residence of Khalistan Commando Force activist Gurinder Singh Gahali in Moga. This clearly shows how AAP has always stood with anti-Punjab forces,” he said.
Joshi said that in July 2015, AAP leaders supported protest by radical Sikhs for premature release of militants. AAP MP from Patiala, Dr Dharamvira Gandhi had warned at that time that AAP leaders were playing a ‘dangerous game’.
AAP's Navkiran Singh, giving clarification on his and Phoolka’s relationship with SFJ, said that the organisation, five years back, was running a campaign for 1984 Sikh Genocide victims and prosecuting Tytler through me. “This was the same time when Phoolka ji was prosecuting Tytler and others,” he added.