CHANDIGARH: Rebel Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) legislator Sukhpal Singh Khaira on Tuesday withdrew his resignation as an MLA from the Punjab Vidhan Sabha and now says as he has decided to fight out his disqualification by the party.
Khaira was summoned on Tuesday by the Punjab assembly Speaker Rana KP Singh since the former had requested to meet the speaker to withdraw his resignation.
He had failed to show up earlier when he was called by the speaker.
Sources in the party have denied a thaw in relations with Khaira.
Earlier Khaira, had rebelled from the AAP and formed his own party, Punjabi Ekta Party and had then contested the recently held parliamentary poll from Bathinda where he came a distant third.
Also, another MLA Master Baldev Singh had rebelled from the AAP along with Khaira and had contested the general election from Faridkot.
Khaira on Tuesday justified his step saying Delhi Chief Minister and national convenor of AAP Arvind Kejriwal had acted like a dictator and never bothered to follow his own constitution while throwing him out of the party.
He became vindictive towards him and other MLAs. Therefore without summoning any meeting of party’s legislature wing, unconstitutionally removed him as Leader of Opposition over Twitter on July 26, 2018.
Khaira said this brazen and unconstitutional act showed that Kejriwal works like a dictator and not a democrat.
Khaira said he has been approached by hundreds of respectable and elected people of Bholath constituency, who have advised him against resigning from the assembly, as it will only force an unnecessary by-election upon the electorate.
Therefore, acting upon the advice of his legal team, sentiments of people of Bholath and his colleagues, he has decided to withdraw the resignation.
Khaira said AAP leaders were free to prove their case of disqualification pending against him, for which he has a befitting reply to be given at
the appropriate time.