Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Sanjay Singh on Monday vowed to file a defamation case against party MLA Colonel Devinder Sehrawat, who had accused the former of “exploiting” women on the pretext of giving them a ticket to contest the Punjab Assembly polls.
The charges levelled by Sehrawat are baseless and malicious. I will file a defamation case against Sehrawat for spoiling my image.Sanjay Singh, Leader, AAP
Singh vowed that he would quit politics and “never show his face in public” if there was any truth to Sehrawat’s allegations. He has claimed that the allegations were part of a conspiracy by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Akali Dal against him. He also added that the AAP is trying to derail his campaign in Punjab.
Sounding combative, Singh said stern action would be taken against Sehrawat after Chief Minister and AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal returns to Delhi from the Vatican, while adding that he will retire from politics if any of the charges against him are proven to be correct.
The BJP and Akalis are rattled by the AAP’s success in Punjab as they know we are getting over 100 seats in the state. The Delhi MLA is being used to defame me and the party.Sanjay Singh, Leader, Aam Aadmi Party
Situation is Getting Indefensible and Disgraceful in Punjab, Says Sehrawat
Earlier on Sunday, Colonel Devinder Sehrawat had shot a letter to the party’s national convenor Arvind Kejriwal alleging gross misuse of power by the leaders of the state unit in Punjab.
In the letter to the Delhi Chief Minister, Sehrawat said:
I saw disturbing reports about women being exploited in Punjab after they are promised a party ticket. The MLAs of Delhi are unaware of what is being done by party representatives in Punjab... Now the situation is getting indefensible and disgraceful. Action needs to be taken to remove rotten elements...
Sehrawat, who has written two letters to the party high command, has vowed to fight the battle till the end.
Weeding Out Uncooperative Elements Within AAP
The AAP MLA from Punjab was one of the only two MLAs who refused to sign a letter seeking the removal of Yogendra Yadav and Prashant Bhushan from the party in March 2015.
Sehrawat has been on a collision course with the party high command ever since, and in a clear indication of being sidelined, has been left out of meetings. The party has even held back from giving him any major responsibilities.
The AAP’s Punjab unit has been a divided house for some time now. The AAP, which is being touted as a strong contender for Punjab’s Assembly polls in 2017, has to first douse fires within its ranks to ensure its chances of survival in the upcoming elections are high. Action against Sehrawat could be interpreted as a bid to weed out these uncooperative elements.
At a juncture when the party is already facing serious headaches in the form of Sandeep Kumar, and former Punjab Unit head, Sucha Singh Chottepur, Sehrawat’s allegations have only made it easier for the party top brass to sideline him.
(With agency inputs.)
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)