New Delhi:
AAP leader and senior advocate HS Phoolka today announced his resignation from all party posts, saying he wants to devote "undivided attention" to the anti-Sikh riots cases which are at a "crucial juncture".
In a bid to scotch murmurs of a rift with the party leadership over his decision, Mr Phoolka said that he would remain an "inherent" part of AAP, which he said is standing on the cusp of winning the next assembly polls in Punjab.
"After detailed discussions with (Arvind) Kejriwalji and with his approval, it has been decided collectively that I quit active politics and resign from party posts, to enable myself to entirely devote myself for getting justice for the victims..." Mr Phoolka said.
Later talking to reporters in Chandigarh, Phoolka said that he was of the firm belief that every person should espouse a social cause and take it to a logical end.
"I started doing their (riots) cases in 1984 as a young lawyer and am continuing to do these cases till today. It is extremely unfortunate that despite the passage of over three decades, even today we are fighting for the same thing we have been fighting for since 1984, i.e. to bring the real culprits to book..," he said.
When asked that he could have been projected as Chief Ministerial candidate by the AAP in the Assembly elections, Phoolka said that for him posts are not important. He replied in the negative when asked if he felt sidelined over not being consulted when AAP was organising rallies in various parts of Punjab recently.
Talking about Punjab, he claimed that people are fed up of the Akalis and the Congress alike.
"They have been yearning for an alternative since long. That option has been provided to them in the form of an honest party, AAP. During the Lok Sabha elections when AAP reached Punjab, I myself joined the party. Due to the hard work and dedication of all the volunteers of AAP in Punjab, today the party has established itself and is on the top. Now it appears that the victory of AAP in the 2017 elections is inevitable," he said.
After joining the party, he said he was assigned key responsibilities and given party posts as well.
"However, as much as an inherent part as I am of AAP, my dedication to the cause of 1984 remains unaltered. At this stage, where I feel I am needed more for these cases, I must not hesitate to take a step back from everything else and give the cause my undivided attention. The cases of the genocide of 1984 have down the years become synonymous with me and the reality is that if I do not give them all my time and attention they are likely to be adversely affected, whereas AAP has managed to find its foothold in Punjab.
"Besides, I firmly believe that I will never allow anything at all to remotely jeopardize or adversely affect my dedication and sincerity towards the cause of 1984."