Aug 2 convention will strengthen party in Pb: AAP leader

AAP MLA Kanwar Sandhu, one of the eight legislators who have opposed the removal of Sukhpal Khaira as the Leader of Opposition in the Punjab Assembly, today said the August 2 volunteers convention would "strengthen" the party in the state.

The statement comes a day after Delhi deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia declared the organising of the Bathinda event by Khaira and his supporters as an "anti-party activity".

"The convention is being organised on the demand and pressure of party volunteers who want to ask us which way the party is going," Sandhu told reporters here today as he rejected Sisodia's claim.

On July 27, a day after Khaira was removed, it was decided to hold a volunteers convention to discuss issues being faced by Punjab and the crisis within AAP, he said.

However, as eight AAP MLAs came out in support of Khaira terming his removal "undemocratic" and demanding that the decision be reviewed, the convention is being seen as a show of strength by firebrand AAP leader.

Sandhu further said that they were expecting 12 to 13 MLAs to turn up at the event and added that invitations were also sent to party's national convener Arvind Kejriwal and Sisodia.

"We want to strengthen the party through this convention. Over the past one and half years after the elections, the steps taken by the party weakened the outfit," he said
Reacting to Sisodia's claim that the congregation was against the party, Sandhu said: "If a party volunteer in Punjab cannot hold a meeting on his own then how he could be regarded as a volunteer. Is he a slave."