Amid Tensions With Congress In Punjab, Kejriwal Says AAP "Committed" To INDI Alliance

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has reiterated the Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP) commitment to the INDI alliance of opposition parties, despite recent tensions with the Congress party in Punjab.

This affirmation follows the arrest of Congress leader Sukhpal Singh Khaira in connection with an old drugs case. Kejriwal, during a press conference, assured that the AAP remains firmly committed to the INDI alliance.

“AAP is committed to India alliance, and AAP will not separate from the India alliance in any condition. We are committed to the coalition dharma.” he said at a press conference, reports Hindustan Times.

While acknowledging the arrest of Khaira, Kejriwal stated that he did not possess specific details and advised seeking information from the Punjab Police.

“Yesterday, I heard that the Punjab Police arrested a Congress leader (Sukhpal Singh Khaira) in connection with drugs. I don't have the details, you will have to speak to the Punjab Police about the same…but the Bhagwant Mann government, the AAP government is committed to ending the drug menace,” Kejriwal said.

The arrest of Khaira has exacerbated tensions between the AAP and Congress, with leaders from the Congress party criticising the AAP's actions.

Earlier, the Punjab Police conducted a raid at the Chandigarh residence of the Congress MLA on Thursday, leading to his arrest in connection with an old case under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.

During the raid, Khaira streamed a live video on Facebook, engaging in an argument with the police, claiming that the case had already been dismissed by the Supreme Court.

In response, the police explained that his arrest was based on the recommendation of an SIT investigation led by a DIG rank officer and two SSPs.

A Jalalabad court subsequently remanded Khaira, who represents the Bholath constituency in the Punjab assembly, to two days' police custody.

Outside the court complex, Khaira criticised Chief Minister Mann and the AAP government, accusing them of engaging in "politics of revenge," which contradicts their earlier claim of pursuing "politics of change."

Meanwhile, Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, President of Punjab Congress, condemned the AAP government's actions in the state, alleging "political vendetta."

He believed that Khaira's arrest was an intentional move to intimidate the opposition and divert attention from significant issues.

In a statement on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), Warring said, “The recent arrest of @INCPunjab MLA @SukhpalKhaira ji smacks of Political Vendetta, it is an attempt to intimidate the opposition and is a ploy of the @AAPPunjab govt to distract from core issues. We stand strongly with Sukhpal Khaira and will take this fight to its logical conclusion".