Why has the AAP’s topi gone missing in Punjab?

For the otherwise very popular cap, popularised by the Aam Aadmi Party, things are different in Punjab. Find out why

The hugely famous and a hit with its supporters, the Aam Aadmi Party's topis are missing in action in Punjab. The otherwise widely-used symbol of the party, the cap with 'Aam Aadmi' printed on it, has taken a back seat during rallies and campaigns in Punjab. While the party says that they have introduced bands and scarfs instead, the Congress and the Akali Dal call the move an attempt by AAP to shed its 'outsider' image.

The Aam Aadmi Party borrowed the simple topi from India Against Corruption movement in 2011, and made it its own. The cap has been the pride of its cadres who flaunt it endlessly, but things are different this time around and specifically in Punjab. The caps are abundant in Goa but are out of sight in Punjab. Party chief Arvind Kejriwal too did not sport the topi during elections rallies in Punjab.

The Congress and the Akali Dal in alliance with the BJP have been the primary opponents in the electoral battle but with AAP's entry, the poll in Punjab is now a multi-cornered contest. Leaders of the Congress and the Akali Dal have time and again referred to the Kejriwal-led party as an 'outsider' that doesn't understand the sensibilities of the people of Punjab.

For Sikhs who constitute 57.69 percent of the population, the turban is close to their hearts and the AAP topi has no place. In their attempt to work around the problem, the AAP introduced bands that can be worn around the turban and party scarf for their cadres and supporters but has been unsuccessful in making them as popular as their famous topis.

OneIndia News