The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Wednesday suspended former Rajouri Garden MLA Jarnail Singh from the primary membership of the party for disrespecting Hindu goddesses on Facebook. The decision to suspend Singh was taken in the meeting of the party’s Political Affairs Committee (PAC).
AAP in a statement said that it is a secular party and has no place for anyone who disrespects any religion. “The Sikh community is also very sad with their statement because such misfortune against any community is also against the teachings of Guru Nanak Dev Ji. Aam Aadmi Party is a secular party and has no place in the party of anyone who disrespects any religion,” the Arvind Kejriwal-led party said.
However, Jarnail Singh claimed the post was accidentally made by his younger son who was using his phone during an online class. “I respect all Gods and follow the principles of Guru Tegh Bahadur,” he said.
Singh, a former journalist, unsuccessfully contested the 2014 Lok Sabha elections on an AAP ticket. In 2015, he was elected as an MLA from the Rajouri Garden seat. He was later made to vacate the seat so that he could contest the 2017 Punjab assembly polls from Lambi constituency against Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) chief Parkash Singh Badal. However, he lost the polls.
After Singh lost to Badal, he gradually distanced himself from the party. He had also criticised the Arvind Kejriwal-led for holding talks with the Congress ahead of 2019 Lok Sabha polls.