SAD asks Kejriwal to come clean on "sexual exploitation" charges

Chandigarh: Shiromani Akali Dal on Monday asked Aam Aadmi Party Convenor Arvind Kejriwal to come clean on the charges of "sexual exploitation of Punjabi women by AAP leaders" and demanded immediate dismissal of both Sanjay Singh and Durgesh Pathak from all party posts in Punjab. Stating that Kejriwal could not simply tweet away his worries, senior SAD leaders Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa and Maheshinder Singh Grewal said the Delhi Chief Minister must explain to Punjabis as to why he had let such acts of "moral turpitude be conducted under his nose". "Either you expel all leaders of your party, including 15 legislators who are involved in heinous crimes, or it will be taken that you encouraged and were even hand-in-glove with the perpetrators of such sordid acts. Merely removing few leaders from the government or party posts does not amount to any action and is a mere eyewash aimed at befooling the people", the Akali leaders in a statement here said. They said the SAD has being maintaining that Kejriwal was presiding over individuals who "lusted for money" and were in the "habit of committing sexual offences" which has now again been "proven by the disclosures of AAP MLA Devinder Sehrawat". The SAD leaders said it was shameful that AAP had not taken any action on the complaint of Devinder Sehrawat who had written the letter "detailing the sexual offences of AAP leaders in the hope of corrective action". "While we laud the courage shown by Sehrawat who has proven to be a true disciple of the Anna Hazare movement, we demand the immediate unmasking of AAP leaders accused of sexual offences and action against them as per the law of the land," they said. Expressing surprise over AAP leader Sanjay Singh Singhs reply on the issue that the allegations were baseless and were not worth replying to, the senior SAD leaders said, "All sin has its origin and Sanjay Singh could not be allowed to be his own judge. He is presiding over a state unit which has already been accused of massive corruption and now even sexual offences. He has no credibility to give character certifications to himself or his party members". Sehrawat had shot off a letter to Kejriwal over alleged "exploitation of women" by a few partymen in return for tickets in the upcoming Punjab Assembly elections. Meanwhile, head of the women wing of AAP Baljinder Kaur today lashed out at Delhi MLA Sehrawat for "defaming women of Punjab by levelling false allegations against the AAP leaders on the directions of political opponents". "Sehrawat has a history of criticising AAP leaders ever since he has joined the party on one pretext or another," she said in a statement. "Party has strong evidences that he (Sehrawat) is playing in the hands of Akalis and is often seen levelling allegations against AAP leaders through TV channels," she alleged