AAP shows door to Dr Daljit

AMRITSAR: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Thursday expelled Punjab executive committee member and chairman of state disciplinary committee Dr Daljit Singh for speaking against the party.
The decision to remove Dr Daljit, an eye surgeon, was taken by the national disciplinary committee of the AAP after serving him a show cause notice three days ago for speaking against AAP spokesperson Sanjay Singh and Punjab convener Sucha Singh Chhotepur.
"Parmatma aapko budhhi de (May God gives you wisdom). This was my reply, when I received the mail today informing that I have been removed form the party," reacted Dr Daljit on his expulsion from party.
Without taking name of any person or his detractors in the party, he said, "I was trying to bring discipline in the party that didn't suit the interest of many so they connived to oust me."
Stating that it was not an end to his public life, Dr Daljit said, "I will not disappear from public life, but will keep doing something for the betterment of the society."
He had blamed party's Punjab affairs in-charge Sanjay and state convener Chotepur for causing irreparable damage to the party in the state following which he was issued a show cause notice by the national disciplinary committee.
"I told them and I am telling you also that I stand by whatever I had said. It was based on facts," Dr Daljit said, adding that it was not an allegation but a truth. "Dono ne party ko barbaad kar diya hai, Yeh samay hi bataayega (Both have ruined the party, only time will tell)," he said while alleging that all honest and hardworking people had been sidelined in the party while 'ruffians' had been brought to the forefront.
Dr Daljit also alleged that the basic problem with the party was that AAP's Punjab unit was being ruled and manipulated from Delhi. However, the expulsion from party has not changed the daily routine of the octogenarian eye surgeon who was also AAP's Lok Sabha candidate from Amritsar. He was busy attending and operating patients at his hospital. "I am still of the view that good people should join politics. I tried to expose the misdeeds in party, but unfortunately fell prey to conspiracies," he said.
The decision to expel Dr Daljit appears to be further escalating the internal bickering in Punjab AAP. Patiala MP Dr Dharamvira Gandhi has already spoken in support of Dr Daljit while Fathegarh Sahib MP Harinder Singh Khalsa termed it a "very-very sad development" and criticized it without mincing words. "The biggest irony is that our party came with the promise of new type of politics, but here in this case they have sacrificed a person of the eminence of Dr Daljit, who was contributing to the party very honestly, to defend a traditional politician like Chhotepur whose activities are already under question mark and is damaging party prospects in the state," Khalsa told to TOI on Thursday evening.
Khalsa questioned where the national disciplinary committee of AAP was when the state executive recalled Chhotepur from the post of convener. "Initially, Sanjay claimed it was a rumour. Later, he said the meeting of the executive was illegal. Then why no action was taken against Sanjay for such utterances," he said.
"What kind of democracy is this," he asked, adding, "they are behaving like school boys and making mockery of themselves with such ludicrous decisions. They have not countered Dr Daljit on the merits and took the decision about him in a highly opaque manner while the questions raised by him remain unanswered," said the former diplomat-turned-politician.
AAP's Patiala MP Dr Dharamvira Gandhi openly come out in support of Dr Daljit leader and termed the action aimed at "throttling" independent voice of AAP leaders by "arrogant" national leadership. "The most respected legendary doctor Padma Shri awardee, down to earth person, leading intellectual and servant of people of Punjab for six decades, Dr Daljit Singh has been humiliated by arrogant Delhi AAP leadership," said Dr Gandhi, who is a known critic of AAP's top leadership.