Phoolka to float non-political outfit, meet Anna Hazare soon

A day after resigning from the Aam Aadmi Party, anti-Sikh riots petitioner H.S. Phoolka on Friday said he will float a non-political organisation of social workers based out of Punjab and meet anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare soon.

Addressing the media here, he said that after being in politics for five years, he felt that the decision of converting the parallel movement started by social worker Anna Hazare into a political party was "not right".

Phoolka on Thursday resigned from AAP, without citing any reasons.

He said the movement should have continued while people may have joined politics.

"It was a powerful movement. So much so that those in power were forced to listen to what the movement was demanding. No political party could have ignored what it was saying," he told the media.

Phoolka said such a movement was a need of the hour.

"We now need a parallel organisation where people will come without any greed for political position," he said.

Some eight years ago, he said, a lot of social workers gathered to stand against the political parties. Most of them joined politics thinking they can serve the people in a better way.

"We should raise a movement like the one led by Anna Hazare. Many who have left AAP, and others including lawyers, doctors who are working for the people need to unite to form an organisation parallel to the political parties," he said, adding, he will soon meet Anna Hazare.

"We will form a big organisation within six months".

He said he will start the organisation from Punjab, but will also like people from other states to start similar organisations.

He said he will not contest the upcoming 2019 Lok Sabha election and will work for the betterment of Punjab as the state government had failed in providing education and eradicating drugs.

"Although after the conviction of Sajjan Kumar, I can win any seat in Punjab, I am not aiming for it," he said.

"I served people for the last 30 years without the help of any political party. I felt after coming to power, I can do even more for the people."

Phoolka said he learned a lot from his five years in politics.

Phoolka did not say anything directly against the AAP.

Phoolka has been fighting a legal battle for the 1984 anti-Sikh riots victims since he was 28 years old and was into the legal profession just for three years. He called it a victory that after a fight of 34 years, he could manage to get the culprits behind bars.

"Although the fight will continue as leaders like Kamal Nath and Jagdish Tytler are still moving free. This fight will continue on a common platform, where all non-Congress parties are welcomed," he said.

"Conviction of all the accused in the 1984 cases is the purpose of my life."

In July 2017, Phoolka resigned from the post of leader of the Opposition in the Punjab Assembly to continue to fight cases of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots victims in courts after the Delhi Bar Council disallowed him from contesting the cases of riot victims while staying in office, saying he held an "office of profit" as leader of Opposition.

"After Sajjan Kumar's conviction, I felt the decision was right."

Phoolka, who joined AAP in 2014 and was voted to Punjab Assembly from Dakha, had resigned from the Assembly as an MLA in October last year.

He said his resignation as MLA has not been accepted by the Speaker of the Punjab Assembly.

The AAP was formed by Arvind Kejriwal and others in 2012.

--IANS

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