CHANDIGARH: The Aam Aadmi Party in for more trouble in Punjab, as it’s Member of Parliament from Patiala Dr Dharamvira Gandhi who has been suspended by the party, today announced the formation of a new forum named 'Punjab Manch', which is expected to evolve into a formal political party in the course of time and once it’s takes shape then he will resign from AAP and contest the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.
Hitting at AAP, Gandhi said,"the party has side-lined leaders from the state and was in grip of high-command culture leaders. As people sitting in Delhi ran the show. Leaders like Sucha Singh Chhotepur were humiliated and he then left the party. A high-command culture is prevailing in the party now."
When asked that he has been suspended by the party high command, Gandhi said,"he had told the AAP leadership to either withdraw his suspension or expel him from the party. But, they have not taken any decision," he said
Two years back Gandhi and another MP Harinder Singh Khalsa were suspended from the primary membership of the AAP for indiscipline and anti-party activities.
"The ultimate aim of this Manch is to evolve into a strong regional political outfit. There is a need for such an outfit in Punjab which can guard its interests. We will be touring Punjab over the next few weeks and months and take feedback from people. Once the manch takes shape of a political outfit, I will quit AAP. We then intend to context the next year's Lok Sabha polls,” he said.
Taking on the Congress, BJP and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) Gandhi said that all these parties had failed to safeguard the interests of Punjab.
"Punjab Manch aims to build a country where diversities of all hues, enjoy opportunities to flower as part of a larger bouquet, fully realising the idea of 'unity in diversity',” he said.
He said that the theme and objective is 'Federal India, Democratic Punjab', and its vision is for a country strongly rooted in democracy, arising out of a comity of individual states exercising federal powers, as envisioned in the Constitution which speaks of a "Union of States".
The Punjab Manch believes that the essence and true destiny of India can only be achieved by the threads of its cultures and races working fully and harmoniously, weaving a much richer, holistic tapestry. At present, the sum of its individual constituent parts are largely subservient to the yoke of an overly-strong, stifling, and unsuitably-centralised government. The Manch also stands for fully democratising state administration and building a democratic society at large, he said.
Already the state leadership of AAP is unhappy with the central leadership especially party’s national convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal as he had apologised from the former minister and senior akali dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia on the issue of drugs.
The 21-member state core committee of the party was dissolved after the Punjab President of AAP and Member of Parliament from Sangrur, Bhagwant Mann and also co-president of the state unit Aman Arora resigned from their posts in protest of Kejriwal’s apology.