AAP sacks Punjab unit convenor Sucha singh

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Friday removed Sucha Singh Chhotepur as Punjab convenor. The party’s political affairs committee (PAC) took the action after a 15-minute-long video surfaced allegedly showing him accepting money from a party volunteer. 

Twenty-one leaders from Punjab, including Bhagwant Mann, wrote a letter to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, asking the PAC to immediately replace Chhotepur with an ‘honest’ man. The letter even reminds AAP of “our party’s principles of zero tolerance towards corruption.”

A PAC meeting to decide Chhotepur’s fate took place at Arvind Kejriwal’s residence attended by Sanjay Singh, Raghav Chaddha, Ashutosh, Ashish Khetan, Bhagwant Mann, Professor Sadhu Singh. The matter has been referred to the AAP disciplinary panel. 

Earlier in the day, Sucha Singh told media that the party was conspiring against him while the opposition leaders were trying to defend him. He said that his own friends and party members had conspired against him. 

Addressing a press meet, Chhotepur said, “I have worked really hard for the AAP, and brought it this far. I have put my blood and sweat into it. If I have done anything wrong, they (the party) should order a CBI inquiry against me. I am an honest man.” He even said that he won’t leave the party on his own. 

Chhotepur has refuted all allegations levelled against him. Chhotepur tweeted “Manish Sisodia recorded my meeting with him, he is not a deputy chief minister he is a spy.” 

Sucha Singh Chhotepur has been part of both the Akali Dal and the Congress in Punjab, before he teamed up with Arvind Kejriwal, who asked him to build the party in the state. He had fought the 2014 Lok Sabha election as an AAP candidate from Gurdaspur losing to the BJP’s Vinod Khanna.  He is considered to be a pioneer in creating a base for Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP in the state. 

Besides this, Chhotepur has been always considered as a man with independent views. The party insider said that till now party has not taken any decision to select a new face for next AAP Punjab convener.