Converting Anti-Corruption Movement Into Party Wrong: HS Phoolka

HS Phoolka resigned from the Aam Aadmi Party on Thursday, 3 January.

Phoolka had resigned from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Thursday, 3 January.

(Photo: IANS)

Disapproving of Arvind Kejriwal’s move to convert the Anna Hazare-led anti-corruption movement from 2012 into a party, 1984 anti-Sikh riots victims’ lawyer HS Phoolka said there is a need for revival of a similar movement again.

Phoolka had resigned from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Thursday, 3 January.

A day after resigning, Phoolka explained his reasons to leave the Arvind Kejriwal-led party at a press conference, saying, “Converting an anti-corruption movement into a political party in 2012 was wrong,” reported PTI.

He also said that the movement should have continued while people may have joined politics.

“It was a powerful movement. So much so that those in power were forced to listen to what the movement was demanding. No political party could have ignored what it was saying.”

HS Phoolka, Senior Advocate

"We should raise a movement like Anna Hazare. Many who have left the AAP and others including lawyers, doctors need to unite to form an organisation parallel to political parties," he said, adding, "We will form a big organisation within six months."

Confirming his resignation on Thursday on Twitter, Phoolka had said, “I have resigned from AAP and handed over resignation to Kejriwal ji today. Though he asked me not to resign but I insisted.”

The move comes amid speculation over the possibility of an alliance between the Congress and the AAP for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

Phoolka said he will not contest the upcoming 2019 Lok Sabha election, and will work for the betterment of Punjab as the state government had failed in providing education and eradicating drugs from the state, reported IANS.

Phoolka had served as the Leader of the Opposition in the Punjab Legislative Assembly and is an MLA from the Dakha constituency.

(With inputs from IANS and PTI)