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Gangster-turned-politician Gurpreet Sekhon Joins AAP Amid Opposition Criticism
Gurpreet Singh Sekhon, a man with a serious criminal record, has joined the Aam Aadmi Party.
He joined at a public meeting attended by Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann.
Sekhon was accused in the 2016 escape from Nabha’s high-security prison.
He was sentenced to 10 years in prison in that case but is currently out on bail.
Police records show 47 cases were registered against him over the years.
Opposition parties say the AAP should not give political opportunities to someone with this background.
Sekhon says he has changed and now works to help people.
His supporters point to aid for poor families, road projects and flood relief.
The disagreement is about whether his claimed reform should allow him to enter politics.
Gurpreet Singh Sekhon joined the Aam Aadmi Party at a rally in Zira in the presence of Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann.
Sekhon was sentenced to 10 years in prison in March 2023 over the 2016 Nabha jailbreak and has been on bail since November 22, 2023.
Police records have registered 47 criminal cases against Sekhon, who was among the accused in the jailbreak that freed six inmates.
Opposition parties accused the AAP of encouraging gangster culture and setting a dangerous precedent by inducting Sekhon.
Sekhon says he has reformed, while supporters cite his social work and claim he has had no cases in the past three years.
- Who
- Gurpreet Singh Sekhon joined the Aam Aadmi Party in the presence of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann.
- What
- Sekhon, a former gangster and accused in the Nabha jailbreak, was inducted into the AAP.
- Where
- At an AAP public rally in Zira, Punjab.
- When
- He joined the party on Sunday; he has been on bail in the jailbreak case since November 22, 2023.
- Why
- Sekhon said he joined on the advice of his supporters and because he had changed his life; the induction was presented by Mann as support for a politics of work.
Opposition parties
AAP and Sekhon’s supporters
Political induction
Opposition parties
Congress and Shiromani Akali Dal leaders said inducting Sekhon could set a dangerous precedent and incentivize gangster culture.
AAP and Sekhon’s supporters
The AAP welcomed Sekhon, while Sekhon said he had changed and joined after supporters advised him to do so.
Criminal record and reform
Opposition parties
Opponents emphasized the 47 registered cases, his role as a main accused in the Nabha jailbreak and his conviction in that case.
AAP and Sekhon’s supporters
Sekhon claimed that all cases against him had been disposed of, and supporters said he had completely reformed and had no case in the past three years.
Public role
Opposition parties
The Shiromani Akali Dal linked the induction to concerns about Punjab’s law-and-order situation and mocked the AAP’s anti-gangster campaign.
AAP and Sekhon’s supporters
Sekhon and his supporters pointed to work such as helping arrange marriages, supporting road construction and distributing relief materials.
Key facts
- Party joined
- Aam Aadmi Party
- Jailbreak case
- Sekhon was among the accused in the November 2016 Nabha jailbreak.
- Prison sentence
- He was sentenced to 10 years in prison in March 2023.
- Bail status
- He has been out on bail in the jailbreak case since November 22, 2023.
- Criminal cases
- Police records show 47 cases registered against him over the years.
- Location of induction
- Zira, Punjab
- Political response
- Congress and Shiromani Akali Dal leaders criticized the AAP’s decision.
Quotes
Amarinder Singh Raja Warring
Punjab Congress president
“The resounding applause from the people present on this occasion indicates that the public is thoroughly fed up with the plunder by traditional parties and now only favours politics of work”
indianexpress.com
“I have seen many ups and downs in my life but never stopped praying to God. Today, I am joining the AAP with my huge family of supporters”
indianexpress.com
Sources
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