Khaira was spokesperson and most vocal face of the party

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

Mr. Khaira joined the AAP here in the presence of AAP’s leadership including in-chrage of Punjab affairs Sanjay Singh and State convener Sucha Singh Chottepur and Sangrur MP Bhagwant Mann.

Mr. Khaira, who had been Congress party’s spokes person 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 Mr. Khaira 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,” Mr. Singh said.

Describing his decision to join the AAP as a “turning point” of his life, Mr. 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,” Mr. Khaira said.

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

Mr. Khaira accused both the Congress and the 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.

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

Mr. Khaira, who had been the Congress spokesman in Punjab, also called Capt. Amarinder a “tired man” and said, “he was defeated twice”.

On joining the AAP, Mr. Khaira said he was always appreciative of Arvind Kejriwal’s style of politics as he took the level of country’s politics to a new level. “Kejriwal fought against corruption tooth and nail,” he said.

“There is no opportunism in my joining the AAP. My switching the party is only for struggle of my State which is facing several issues like drug menace, corruption, etc. My joining is absolutely unconditional,” he said.

“I was pressurised (not to join the AAP) till yesterday. I was made the national spokesman of the Congress. But I had given it up. I will work as a volunteer in the party,” Mr. Khaira said.

On what responsibility be given to Mr. Khaira, AAP leader Sanjay Singh said: “He is joining the AAP unconditionally. You (media) leave it to the party and we will sit and decide together on what role he be given in the party.”

-- PTI

“Rahul Gandhi compromised his ideology by forming the new Punjab Congress team”