AAP leader Phoolka quits party posts

Aam <g data-gr-id="22">Aaddmi</g> Party (AAP) leader and senior advocate HS Phoolka on Saturday announced his resignation from all party posts, saying he wants to devote “undivided attention” to the anti-Sikh riots cases, which are at a “crucial juncture”.

In a bid to scotch murmurs of a rift with the party leadership over his decision, Phoolka said he would remain an “inherent” part of AAP, which he said is standing on the cusp of winning the next Assembly polls in Punjab.

“After detailed discussions with (Arvind) Kejriwalji and with his approval, it has been decided collectively that I quit active politics and resign from party posts, to enable myself to entirely devote myself for getting justice for the victims...” Phoolka said.

“Kejriwal has always supported me on Sikh-related issues, particularly to get justice for the 1984 genocide victims. I will also contest cases for the AAP as and when the party requires me to,” he added. Phoolka, who joined the AAP in 2014, contested the Lok Sabha election from Ludhiana that year. He lost to Ravneet Singh Bittu of the Congress by 19,709 votes.

He has been spearheading the fight for justice in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots in New Delhi. The riots followed the assassination of then PM Indira Gandhi by her Sikh bodyguards and resulted in the killing of 2,733 Sikhs and displacement of over 50,000 members of the community within two days.