Bathinda AAP MLA revolts, says party strayed from principles

Bathinda: In an open revolt against own party, Aam Aadmi Party Bathinda Urban MLA Jagroop Singh Gill said the party has slipped out of its principles and now into money and muscle power. "If the party fails to change its style, Aam Aadmi Party will have to face the music in 2027 Assembly elections. Our party may have to suffer in a similar way in 2027 as Manpreet Singh Badal (ex-finance minister) suffered in 2022, when he faced a huge defeat," said Gill on Tuesday."I am a committed soldier of the party but if the party expels me for the outbursts, I will look for the other options," said Gill after the closing of the polling for the municipal corporation while speaking to media persons. Gill also lambasted the AAP for attack on BJP district president Sarup Chand Singla and accused Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) president Amarjit Singh Mehta and his ex-Mayor son Padamjit Mehta of being behind the highhandedness. Gill also said that Padamjit Mehta won unopposed from ward number 46 by putting pressure on the administration in rejecting the nomination papers. The sources have termed the outbursts of Gill as fallout of Delhi vs Punjab-based leaders in AAP. Gill also supported the stand taken by Punjab agriculture minister Gurmeet Singh Kudian when he reportedly took on party state in-charge Manish Sisodia over distribution of party tickets in Bathinda MC. Gill said now the interference of Delhi-based leaders is more in the party, which is against the initial lesson taught to the party functionaries when it was told that no high command-type culture will be seen in Aam Aadmi Party. Gill made more charges against the Mehta father-son duo, saying as they have distributed ticket as per the whims and fancy they somehow want to win the elections to prove that ticket selection was right and it is on the same lines as was done in 2021 during the previous Congress govt. He said in such an endeavour, the communal harmony is the biggest casualty as attack on Sarup Chand Singla is the biggest example of breaking of communal harmony in Bathinda. He said last night some goons of Amarjit Singh Mehta attacked his supporters in ward number 3 and fired at the SUV. "I called the SSP at 2.30 am when Bathinda SSP asked me to file a complaint and the case will be registered accordingly. But now, under pressure from higher-ups, the case has been registered against unidentified persons even as my supporters had named Mehta behind the attack."Amarjit Singh Mehta refuted the charges and said all the allegations are vague and he has nothing to do with any attack or getting forms of candidates rejected in ward number 46. Bathinda DSP City-2 Arun Mundan said, "The FIR has been registered on merit after going through the videos of the incident. Multiple complaints have been received from State Election Commission against both the parties respectively and action as per merit will be taken."AAP Punjab president Aman Arora and media adviser Baltej Pannu didn't respond in the matter.Pic: AAP MLA Jagroop Singh Gill speaking to media persons at Bathinda