AAP’s CM Candidate for Punjab Assembly Elections Will be from Sikh Community: Arvind Kejriwal

The AAP leader Kejriwal who is on a visit to Amritsar ahead of the Assembly polls in Punjab next year, said, "Aam Aadmi Party's CM candidate for Punjab will be from the Sikh community".

Amritsar: AAP national convenor and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday said that the party’s chief ministerial candidate for the upcoming Punjab Assembly elections will be from the Sikh community. The AAP leader Kejriwal who is on a visit to Amritsar ahead of the Assembly polls in Punjab next year, said, “Aam Aadmi Party’s CM candidate for Punjab will be from the Sikh community. Because we think that all across the globe, Punjab is the only state that has a CM from the Sikh community. We feel this is the right of the Sikh community and this right will continue to be with them, It will be someone whom the whole of Punjab feels proud of.”

Speaking to the media, CM Kejriwal further added, “I want to assure the people of Punjab that AAP will make sure that culprits in the Bargari sacrilege case will be punished and justice is served.” Earlier on Sunday, the Delhi CM announced his visit to Amritsar by tweeting, “Punjab wants change. The only hope is the Aam Aadmi Party. See you tomorrow at Amritsar.”

Former Punjab police officer Kunwar Vijay Pratap joins AAP

During the AAP convenor Kejriwal’s visit to Amritsar, Former IG Kunwar Vijay Pratap who was part of the SIT probing the 2015 Kotkapura police firing incident in Punjab joined the Aam Aadmi Party. Inducting the former Punjab inspector general of police into the party ahead of the Punjab Assembly polls, CM Kejriwal said, “Kunwar Vijay Pratap is not a politician. He was called ‘aam aadmi ka policewala‘. We all are here to serve the nation. With this sentiment, he has joined the party today.”

He is part of the AAP family, party state unit chief Bhagwant Mann said in presence of Kejriwal and other senior leaders, including Raghav Chadha.

Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh took premature retirement in April after the Punjab and Haryana High Court quashed a report filed by the earlier Punjab Police SIT into the Kotkapura firing incident in 2015 after the alleged desecration of the Guru Granth Sahib in Faridkot district. He was part of the Special Investigation Team which was probing the 2015 Kotkapura and Behbal Kalan policing firing incidents.

The court had then directed the state government to set up a new SIT without Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh. Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh had initially refused to accept the resignation of Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh, who otherwise was to retire in 2029. But when the former IG-rank officer remained firm on his stand, the chief minister accepted his premature retirement request.