Punjab Cong leader Khaira joins AAP; hits out at Rahul, Amarinder

Former Bholath MLA and Congress leader Sukhpal Singh Khaira on Friday joined Aam Aadmi Party as he hit out at party vice president Rahul Gandhi for allegedly “compromising” on his “own principles” and ideology and called PCC chief Amarinder Singh a “tainted and corrupt” leader.

Khaira joined AAP here in the presence of AAP’s leadership including inchrage of Punjab affairs Sanjay Singh, and state convener Sucha Singh Chottepur and Sangrur MP Bhagwant Mann.

Khaira, who had been Congress party’s spokesperason and the most vocal face of the party submitted his resignation from the primary membership of the party to Rahul Gandhi.

Sanjay Singh formally inducted Khaira here on Friday and applauded him for “taking on Badals single handedly by exposing their misdeeds”.

“We welcome Khaira in our party and we hope he will work hard to consolidate the party in the state,” Singh said.

Describing his decision to join AAP as a “turning point” of his life, Khaira attacked Rahul Gandhi and Amarinder Singh and said he felt “suffocated” in the party despite serving it for over two decades.

“I was upset with Rahul Gandhi who always promised to bring honest and young people and qualitative change in the polity of India. Unfortunately, he compromised on his own principles and ideology by forming new Punjab Congress team including Amarinder Singh, Ambika Soni and Lal Singh just to win polls in Punjab,” Khaira said.

He hit out at Amarinder and Lal Singh while accusing them of being “tainted and corrupt”.

“Amarinder Singh has been facing 3-4 charges including Ludhiana city centre scam, Amritsar Improvement Trust scandal.

The report of his wife Preneet Kaur and his son Raninder Singh stashing black money in swiss accounts have also emerged. Lal Singh has been indicted of serious corruption charges by the Lokpal,” Khaira alleged.

Khaira accused both Congress and Akalis of being “identically corrupt” parties with “feudal mindset” and alleged that Parkash Singh Badal and Amarinder Singh are hand in glove with each other and have been protecting each other in corruption cases.

“While two corruption cases of Amarinder Singh are in the courts for last seven years due to soft prosecution by the Badals, Amarinder never challenged the acquittal of the Badal family in disproportionate assets case purposely,” he claimed.

“There is a secret understanding between two parties not to let third group to rise against them,” he alleged.

Amarinder always accused Badal regime of registering false cases against Congress workers but why he never fought those cases in their support, he asked.