AAP removes Sucha Singh Chhotepur as Punjab chief for alleged corruption

Chandigarh: The political affairs committee of the Aam Aadmi Party took the action against the Punjab AAP convener Chhotepur.

Chhotepur will now face a disciplinary committee of the party, comprising Delhi lawmaker Jarnail Singh and former Punjab bureaucrat and AAP leader Jasbir Singh Bir, regarding allegations of corruption.

Differences between top leaders of the AAP’s national leadership and the Punjab unit came out in the open on Friday with Chhotepur saying he won’t leave the party on his own.

“I will not leave the party. I have built it brick by brick in the last two-and-a-half years. Let the party take action against me. I have done nothing wrong,” Chhotepur told the media here.

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The AAP leader, who was the party’s most visible face in Punjab till now, alleged that he had been framed by a “conspiracy of my own friends” in the AAP.

Chhotepur’s comments came hours ahead of an AAP meeting in New Delhi to discuss the controversy around a video clip in which Chhotepur is allegedly seen accepting money from a party supporter.

Sangrur MP Bhagwant Mann told reporters that Chhotepur will be given a chance to explain his stand to the party leadership and that his case has been referred to a two-member committee comprising Jasbir Singh and the AAP Punjab joint in-charge Jarnail Singh.

21 AAP leaders from Punjab had on Wednesday shot off a letter to party’s national convenor Kejriwal asking him to immediately sack Chotepur from the party after a controversy erupted over a video clip allegedly showing him taking money.