Former Aam Aadmi Party member Harvinder Singh Phoolka on Sunday responded to speculation about joining the Bharatiya Janata Party following a meeting with Union minister Vijay Goel a day earlier. Phoolka, who resigned from the Aam Aadmi Party on January 3, described Goel as “a good friend” and said they met often.
Phoolka said that meeting Goel was “no news”. “He has been helping me in 1984 Sikh genocide cases quietly without claiming any credit,” he said in a tweet. “I meet every leader who supports our fight for justice.”
Phoolka met Goel on Saturday on the BJP leader’s birthday. Goel called Phoolka a “good friend” and lauded his legal battle working for the victims of the 1984 anti-Sikh violence. “He quit AAP recently,” Goel tweeted. “Better late than never.”
So far, Phoolka has not given any reason for quitting the Aam Aadmi Party. The lawyer on Friday said that the decision to convert Anna Hazare’s anti-corruption movement into a political party in 2012 was a “wrong” one, and expressed his desire to float a non-political outfit in Punjab to fight the drug menace and the alleged politicisation of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee.
Phoolka, who has ruled out contesting the upcoming General Elections, had said that he will continue to fight on a non-political platform to ensure that Congress leaders Kamal Nath and Jagdish Tytler are also punished in connection with the violence. Nath is now the chief minister of Madhya Pradesh.
Limited-time offer: Big stories, small price. Keep independent media alive. Become a Scroll member today!
Our journalism is for everyone. But you can get special privileges by buying an annual Scroll Membership. Sign up today!