Won’t join Aam Aadmi: Manpreet

Sarbjit Dhaliwal

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 12

Countering accusations hurled at him by Akali ministers that he planned to join the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), People’s Party of Punjab president Manpreet Singh Badal today said neither would he dissolve his party nor would he merge the PPP with another political outfit.

“I have a definite party agenda and loyal activists. Why should I then join the AAP,” he asked. He said Akali ministers Sikander Singh Maluka and Sharanjit Singh Dhillon should know that his party agenda, including his stand against the VIP culture and use of red beacons as well as the PPP’s social philosophy of Shaheed Bhagat Singh had been adopted by AAP.

Maluka and Dhillon had alleged that Manpreet’s “campaign on the social media is a well-planned strategy to prepare the ground for another political opportunity in Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).”

The ministers alleged though Manpreet was nowhere involved in the Delhi election campaign, AAP’s victory had provoked “his opportunistic character to create a ground for himself in this new party.” Accusing Manpreet of concealing the fact that he had joined the Congress, Maluka and Dhillon said the former should tell the public that he had obtained primary membership of the Congress before contesting elections on the Congress symbol from the Bathinda Lok Sabha constituency. He asked Manpreet how a politician could run his own outfit while continuing to hold the membership of another party.

Hitting back, Manpreet said: “My party and AAP are bowling the same line and length. It is another matter that the latter has claimed wickets while we have yet to do so. Of course I feel enthused and inspired by AAP’s amazing success in Delhi. It has given me hope that my party can do the same in Punjab.”

He pointed out that earlier Maluka had claimed that he (Manpreet) would return to the SAD fold. Later, he had changed his stand, saying he would join the Congress. “Now they are saying I will join AAP. But I am where I was when I formed the PPP,” he said, adding he had to technically obtain the Congress membership to contest on its symbol after his party symbol (kite) was allotted to his namesake.

He said he was determined to defeat the SAD in the next elections.