CHANDIGARH: The dissidence-hit Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) received a fresh jolt on Saturday after its 2014 Lok Sabha Ludhiana candidate and prominent Delhi lawyer HS Phoolka resigned from all party posts. He said he was quitting active politics but refused to say that he was quitting AAP.

Phoolka insisted that he wanted to give “undivided attention” to court cases related to the 1984 anti-Sikh riots and insisted that he had taken party chief Arvind Kejriwal into confidence.

His announcement in Chandigarh came at a time when AAP is consolidating lost ground in Punjab before the crucial 2017 assembly elections and three weeks after the party suspended its two MPs—Dr Dharamvira Gandhi from Patiala and Harinder Singh Khalsa from Fatehgarh Sahib—for anti-party activities.

“I am of AAP, but my dedication to the cause of 1984 ( riot victims ) remains unaltered,” he said. “At this stage I feel I am needed more for these cases and must not hesitate to take a step back from everything else and give the cause my undivided attention.”

The lawyer was holding three key posts as AAP’s national spokesperson, legal affairs in-charge and executive member of party’s Punjab unit.

Hitting out at the NDA for not doing enough to prevent CBI from giving a clean chit to Congress’ Jagdish Tytler on September 11 in the anti-Sikh riots case, he said that he was satisfied with his own fight and the plea to transfer the case against Sajjan Kumar to another court. The Delhi high court had on Wednesday suspended proceedings against Kumar and issued notices to him and the CBI on Phoolka's plea.

In an open letter, Phoolka said that he has resigned from all posts in AAP.

"I am resigning from AAP to focus full-time on ensuring justice for 1984 riot victims," Phoolka said in his letter.

In a bid to scotch murmurs of a rift with the party leadership over his decision, Phoolka said that 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 discussion from Kejriwalji and with his approval, it has been decided collectively that I quit active politics and resign from all party posts to entire devout myself for getting justice ofr 1984 riots victims," Phoolka added.

Phoolka said that "AAP is doing very well in Punjab and it will win in next assembly polls."

