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Gurpreet Singh Sekhon Joins AAP, Drawing Opposition Criticism
Gurpreet Singh Sekhon has joined the Aam Aadmi Party in Punjab.
He has a long criminal record, with 47 cases registered against him.
He was also accused in the 2016 escape from Nabha prison.
Sekhon says he has changed and has spent recent years helping people.
His supporters point to aid for poor families, road work, and flood relief.
Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann welcomed him at a public rally.
Congress and the Shiromani Akali Dal said the decision sends a dangerous message.
They argued that people accused of serious crimes should not be rewarded with political opportunities.
Congress workers also held a protest near the rally venue.
Gurpreet Singh Sekhon, who has 47 registered criminal cases, joined the Aam Aadmi Party at a rally in Zira.
Sekhon was among the accused in the 2016 Nabha jailbreak and has been out on bail in that case since November 2023.
Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann welcomed Sekhon, who said he had reformed and that his cases had been disposed of.
Congress and the Shiromani Akali Dal criticized the induction, warning it could encourage gangster culture and hurt law-and-order efforts.
Congress workers also protested near the rally over an alleged police-torture incident involving a man who displayed a black flag to Mann.
- Who
- Gurpreet Singh Sekhon joined the Aam Aadmi Party in the presence of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann; Congress and the Shiromani Akali Dal criticized the move.
- What
- Sekhon, a former independent political aspirant and accused in the Nabha jailbreak case, was inducted into the Aam Aadmi Party.
- Where
- At an Aam Aadmi Party public rally in Zira, Punjab.
- When
- Sunday; the article also states that Sekhon has been out on bail in the Nabha jailbreak case since November 22, 2023.
- Why
- Sekhon said he joined on the advice of his supporters, while the Opposition said the induction could encourage gangster culture and undermine law-and-order efforts.
Critics of the Induction
Supporters of the Induction
Political rehabilitation
Critics of the Induction
Congress said bringing Sekhon into the ruling party sets a dangerous precedent and could incentivize gangster culture by allowing people accused of crime to enter electoral politics.
Supporters of the Induction
Sekhon and his supporters said he has turned his life around, worked on social causes, and has not faced a case in the past three years, according to a supporter.
Law and order
Critics of the Induction
The Shiromani Akali Dal said the induction raises questions about the Aam Aadmi Party's approach to gangsters and contrasts with the Punjab Police's anti-gangster campaign, 'Gangstran Te Vaar.'
Supporters of the Induction
Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said the public now favors the politics of work over what he called the plunder of traditional parties; Sekhon said he would support Mann and remain committed to the party.
Future political role
Critics of the Induction
Opposition criticism focused on whether Sekhon's criminal past should disqualify him from receiving a political platform.
Supporters of the Induction
Sekhon said any decision on whether he would receive the Aam Aadmi Party ticket from Zira would be up to the party.
Key facts
- New party
- Aam Aadmi Party
- Joined at
- A public rally in Zira, Punjab
- Criminal cases
- Police records show 47 cases registered against Gurpreet Singh Sekhon
- Nabha jailbreak
- Sekhon was among the accused in the November 2016 escape from the high-security prison
- Bail status
- He has been out on bail in the Nabha jailbreak case since November 22, 2023
- Supporters' claims
- His supporters say he has reformed and has helped with marriages, road construction, ration, cattle feed, and flood relief
- Protest
- Congress workers marched with black flags and black bands but were stopped before reaching the rally venue
Quotes
Amarinder Singh Raja Warring
Punjab Congress president who criticized Sekhon’s induction
“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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