Referendum 2020 Issue: In More Embarrassment For AAP, Its NRI Units Back Sukhpal Khaira 

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)’s main unit in Delhi may have distanced itself from its Punjab leader Sukhpal Khaira’s alleged support to ‘Referendum 2020’, but the party’s non-resident Indian (NRI) unit has come out openly in Khaira’s support.

The party’s NRI units have written a letter to AAP’s Punjab in-charge Manish Sisodia saying Khaira’s “demand for justice” for Sikhs was justified, reported The Tribune. AAP leaders from 36 NRI units in USA, Canada, Europe, Australia and New Zealand, among other countries, have backed Khaira though they have not expressed explicit support for the referendum.

The row began last week when a newspaper reported Khaira, who is Leader of Opposition in Punjab, as saying that “I support the Sikh referendum 2020 movement as Sikhs have the right to demand justice against atrocities suffered by them".

Referendum 2020 is a secessionist movement for a separate homeland for Sikhs.

Among others, Khaira’s statement was severely criticised by current Punjab chief minister from Congress, Amarinder Singh Gill, who tweeted that he condemned Khaira for “backing secessionism”.

The controversy led to an embarrassed party chief and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal distancing himself from Khaira’s remarks. While Kejriwal even refused to meet Khaira in Delhi, Punjab in-charge Manish Sisodia rebuked Khaira and declared that the party has nothing to do with his referendum thoughts, in a face-saving exercise.

Khaira has since backtracked and is now saying that he merely demanded justice for Sikhs who, he says, have faced discrimination by governments at the centre “be it attack on Darbar Sahib (or), genocide of Sikhs leading to 2020" .

However, the fresh support from NRIs gives credence to allegations that AAP courted Sikh radicals during the run up to assembly elections in Punjab. The concern was first raised by former state police chief KPS Gill (who passed away last year) who accused AAP of providing a platform to “radical Sikh diaspora” settled abroad to “create a big base from which to operate”.

Gill had a prime, although controversial, role in ending terrorism in Punjab.

In February, these concerns resurfaced when actress Gul Panag, who campaigned for AAP, said in a series of tweets that Kejriwal flirted with the pro-Khalistan gang. Earlier in 2014, AAP Delhi leader Jarnail Singh was seen addressing a rally of Khalistan supporters in London, kicking up a storm.