A day after former Enforcement Directorate (ED) deputy director Niranjan Singh severed ties with the Akali Dal Waris Punjab De (AD-WPD), Dakha MLA and party leader Manpreet Singh Ayali said the party had not received any formal communication from Niranjan Singh explaining the reasons behind his departure.Party sources claimed that Niranjan Singh had been facing considerable pressure from family members and acquaintances following his decision to join the organisation.Reacting to the development, Ayali said he could have been under some kind of pressure. “Otherwise, why would someone join a party, brief the media, sing praises and then decide to leave it within four days?” Ayali said.Niranjan Singh announced his decision to quit the party in a social media post on Jattvibeday evening. “I disassociate myself from AD-WPD. I had extended my support to the party on issues such as the drug menace in Punjab, rampant corruption, gangsters, extortion, and the involvement of police personnel in drug trafficking. However, there are differences on some issues that are non-negotiable. The conduct of people in public life has to be within the framework of the Constitution of India. I wish them well,” he wrote.Responding to Singh’s remarks, AD-WPD secretary general Mandeep Singh Sidhu, brother of late activist and Waris Punjab De founder Deep Sidhu, accused the former ED officer of attempting to defame the party at the behest of agencies.Sidhu also rejected Singh’s assertion that the party did not have a clear position on the Constitution.“We are fighting a democratic electoral battle. This itself is proof that we believe in the Constitution. Our leader and Khadoor Sahib MP Amritpal Singh took oath under the Constitution after winning the election. All candidates are required to submit affidavits and swear by the Constitution. Therefore, the argument that our stand is not clear is misleading and motivated, aimed solely at denting the party’s image,” Sidhu said.Singh had joined AD-WPD earlier this week in the presence of Ayali, Tarsem Singh, father of jailed Khadoor Sahib MP Amritpal Singh, and Faridkot MP Sarabjit Singh Khalsa.His decision to leave the party within days of joining has since triggered a war of words, with Singh citing differences over certain issues and party leaders questioning the circumstances surrounding his departure.