Congress, SAD hit out at Sukhpal Singh Khaira after he joins AAP

CHANDIGARH: Congress leader Sukhpal Singh Khaira came into criticism from the party and from the ruling Akali Dal after he joined the Aam Aadmi Party here today.

While the Congress termed it a "good riddance" for party, the SAD, said move shows " political opportunism" of AAP.

Hitting back for calling the state Congress leaders "tainted and corrupt", the party said Khaira's father, Sukhjinder Singh, who was a minster, was sacked for "corruption".

How has he started finding fault in the party, as "only on December 1 Khaira issued a statement hailing Amarinder's appointment as the PCC chief saying it would mark the beginning of the end for the Akalis," senior vice president of the Punjab Congress Laal Singh said.

People like Khaira, can never be happy and comfortable with any political party. It is his third party having started with Akali then to Congress and now to AAP, he said.

Singh said he would sue Khaira for "defamation" by levelling baseless charges as he had been " acquitted" by the Supreme Court.

"Laal Singh has been indicted for serious corruption charges by the Lokpal," Khaira had alleged earlier today.

"Khaira is an outright opportunist whose ambition is disproportionate to his capabilities," Singh said.

"A leader's standing is judged at the time of polls and Khaira has a hat-trick of rejections, and fourth defeat will be added in 2017," he asserted.

Laal Singh also alleged Khaira had "raised Khalistan flag" in Kapurthala.

The senior PCC vice president pointed out that Khaira's reputation was that of a "land grabber". "Even the house he is living in Chandigarh belongs to the father of a popular film actress and he had forcibly occupied it," he accused.

He also denied Khaira's claims that he was offered National Spokespersonship of the AICC saying that by making such statements he wants to bargain posts in AAP.

The ruling SAD described Khaira's entry into AAP as "marriage of political frustration with political opportunism."

"The step exposes political opportunism of AAP and utter frustration of Khaira. On one hand it fully exposes the political irrelevance and marginalisation of Congress, on the other it shows how hollow claims of AAP are on principled politics," said SAD spokesperson Harcharan Singh Bains in a statement here.