AAP hand-in-glove with extremists: Sukhbir

Punjab Deputy Chief Minister and Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Friday said the AAP was "hand-in-glove" with the extremist elements and separatists.

Addressing the media here, Badal alleged that Aam Aadmi Party legislator Jarnail Singh, the co-convener of AAP's Punjab unit, had even "tacitly backed the demands of separatist forces on foreign soil".

"Not only this, but AAP is also hobnobbing with the radicals since the time of 'Sarbat Khalsa' (Sikh religious congregation) last year and has even arrived at an understanding with them to wrest control of SGPC and meddle in the religious affairs of Sikhs," Sukhbir claimed.

He said the anti-Sikh and anti-Punjab stance of the AAP leadership, which mainly comprised leaders from outside Punjab, had been exposed in the controversy around the AAP Punjab convener Sucha Singh Chhotepur.

Chhotepur was sacked as the Punjab unit chief on Friday by the political affairs committee of AAP following emergence of a video clip in which he is allegedly shown taking money from an AAP supporter.

Badal, who is Punjab home minister also, said that if any AAP leader or supporter submits in writing to the Punjab government regarding alleged bribery in ticket distribution, the state government could probe such allegations after investigating its veracity.

The AAP is posing a challenge to the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal-BJP alliance and the opposition Congress in the Punjab assembly polls likely to be held in February next year.

--IANS

js/mr