ISIS comparison: AAP says Sukhbir ‘obsessed’, must apologise

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) came down heavily on deputy chief minister and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Wednesday for comparing the party with terror outfit ISIS and terming its leaders radicals and Khalistanis. Sukhbir said this in an interview to HT.
AAP Punjab convener Sucha Singh Chhotepur issued a statement that said, “Sukhbir seems to have lost his mind after seeing massive groundswell in favour of AAP in Punjab and sensing his imminent defeat in the 2017 assembly polls.”
“Though Sukhbir denies his obsession with the AAP… during his entire interview he talks about nothing else but the AAP. Sukhbir looks visibly scared. It also shows how AAP is giving sleeplessness nights to Sukhbir,” said Chhotepur.
He added, “AAP is the party of the common man, unlike the SAD that is being run by the Badal family like a private limited company. SAD is all about Parkash Singh Badal, Sukhbir Badal, Harsimrat Kaur Badal, Bikram Singh Majithia and Adesh [Adaish] Partap Singh Kairon.”
“If Sukhbir was not born as son to Parkash Singh Badal, he could not have been even a councillor in a municipal committee,” he said.
Chhotepur also lashed out at Sukhbir for “maligning non-resident Indians (NRIs) by dubbing them as radicals or Khalistanis”. He is only venting his frustration at Punjab’s NRIs after being summarily rejected by them, the AAP leader said. “Only a year ago, Badals used to hold NRI sammelans (conventions) to woo them. But ever since the Punjab’s NRIs have turned against Badals, they have suddenly become either radicals or Khalistanis for them,” he added.
AAP spokesman Sukhpal Singh Khaira demanded an apology from Sukhbir for the comparison with ISIS. He wrote on his Twitter account: “Afraid of jail after 2017 polls #GappiBadal is resorting to wild allegations-AAP is like ISIS, shd prove or apologize.”