The Shiromani Akali Dal on Thursday asked the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to break his silence on serious allegations of party leaders — Sanjay Singh and Durgesh Pathak — insulting Sikh leaders from Punjab and referring to sacred five symbols of the Sikhs, including beard and turban in a most derorgatory manner.
“Is your meditative silence and Vipasana more important than the need to stop insults being heaped on Sikh leaders by your non-Sikh, non-Punjabi goonsIJ” asked the party general secretary and spokesperson Harcharan Singh Bains.
Bains also dared AAP leader to deny allegations being levelled by his own party volunteers that AAP tickets are being sold by non-Punjabi leaders close to Kejriwal.
He was referring to the newspaper reports and the statements of several present and former AAP leaders, including Hardip Singh Kingra and Jassi Jasraj that non-Sikh and non-Punjabi leaders in the party not only call all the shots but humiliate not just Sikh leaders but even Sikh religion.
Notably, the AAP’s Finance Committee chairman HS Kingra had resigned from the party a day before alleging that senior non-Sikh and non-Punjabi leaders of the party made derogatory references to hair and beard.
Earlier, Jassi Jasraj had also been thrown out of the party when he raised the issue of honour of Punjabi leaders in the party.
Bains also referred to a video now going viral on YouTube and other social media forums in which senior AAP leader Kumar Biswas is seen and heard declaring that the Sikhs are not a separate religion but only a part of the Hindu Parivar.
He asked whether the Sikh leaders in AAP, including Sucha Singh Chhotepur, Kanwar Sandhu and Himmat Singh Shergill also agree with Kumar Biswas that the Sikhs are not a separate a religion but only a part of the Hindu religionIJ
“And will Kejriwal please clarify if he backs Biswas on this in which Guru Gobind Singh is painted as a Hindu leader. If Kejriwal does not agree with Biswas, will he then explain what action has been taken against Biswas and why he still continues to be in the partyIJ” asked the SAD General Secretary who is also Advisor to the Chief Minister.