Aam Aadmi Party expels senior leader Upkar Sandhu

CHANDIGARH: Aam Aadmi Party today expelled its senior leader from Amritsar Upkar Singh Sandhu over alleged anti-party activities, a day after he criticised the decision to make Sangrur MP Bhagwant Maan, the party Punjab unit chief.

Sandhu, who had unsuccessfully contested for Amritsar Lok Sabha seat by-poll, had yesterday opposed the decision of the party high command to appoint Mann as the convenor for the party's Punjab unit.

Sandhu has been expelled for his activities against the party, Mann said today in a statement.

Mann said that the volunteers were the backbone of the party, but added that anti-party activities would not be tolerated.

Sandhu had resigned from SAD on October 24 last year, to protest sacrilege incidents in the state. He had joined the party back a month later. Before joining AAP, Sandhu had defected to the Congress from SAD.

Yesterday, Sandhu had condemned the party high command's move appointing Mann as the state chief saying that it would lead to conflict among volunteers.

Sandhu said that AAP high command should consider appointing MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira as party's state chief.

Earlier on Monday, in a meeting chaired by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, the AAP had appointed Mann as the convener and party MLA from Sunam, Aman Arora as the co- convener.

Shortly after the decision, AAP spokesperson and the chief whip of the party in the state Assembly, Khaira had asked Kejriwal to remove him from the posts.

"I have asked (Arvind) Kejriwal to remove me from the posts of the party's chief whip in the Assembly and party spokesperson with immediate effect," the Bholath MLA had said.