The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is planning to field eminent lawyer Harvinder Singh Phoolka to take on Union minister for information and broadcasting Manish Tewari from Ludhiana parliamentary constituency in Punjab.
Phoolka, who is known for his legal assistance to gain justice for the victims of 1984 anti-Sikh riots, is considered as the brain behind Delhi government’s decision to constitute special investigative team (SIT) to probe the Sikh massacre followed by the assassination of former prime minister Indira Gandhi.
‘It will be interesting to be against a leader like Manish Tewari. I have expressed my willingness to the party to contest from Ludhiana Lok Sabha seat,’ said Phoolka, who is now an active member of AAP.
‘I have made it clear to the party, If I will contest, I shall contest from Ludhina only,’ he asserted.
Phoolka further added that he has a huge fan followers in the city as he has completed his graduation from Ludhiana. The sources in the party said that Phoolka could also be made as star campaigner of the party in the state as he is a good public orator.
According to sources, the decision of the party to pit Phoolka against Tewari is the result of party’s strategy to settle the scores with union minister for making anti-establishment remarks during the days of Anna Hazare’s Jan Lokpal movement in 2012.
Reportedly, Tewari had said, ‘Team Anna is composed of armchair fascists, over-ground Maoists, closet anarchists funded by invisible donors.’
Tewari had also alleged corruption charges on Hazare. The feud was followed by a legal notice from Hazare on which he later regretted his remark.
Phoolka, hails from Barnala district of Punjab, graduated from Ludhiana and pursued his law degree from Chandigarh. He belongs to the glorious Phoolkian dynasty’s of Bhaduar chiefs, who were great rulers of Punjab. Manish Tewari, also an eminent lawyer, lost from Ludhina Lok Sabha seat in 2004 but elected MP in 2009 from this seat by defeating Akali Dal candidate.