The crisis in the AAP Punjab unit deepened on Sunday after Delhi deputy CM Manish Sisodia rejected nine party MLAs’ demand to take back the decision to remove Bholath legislator Sukhpal Singh Khaira as the LoP in the Vidhan Sabha.The defiant Punjab legislators, led by Khaira, in whose place Dirba MLA Harpal Singh Cheema has been made the new LoP, pressed for the latter’s immediate removal, calling the procedure adopted by the central leadership “undemocratic and unacceptable”. Sisodia, who is in-charge of party affairs in Punjab, categorically ruled out any rethink and asked the MLAs not to go ahead with the ‘volunteers’ convention’, widely seen as a “show of strength” of the Khaira group, to be held in Bathinda on August 2.However, the MLAs told him that they would go ahead with the public meeting as planned, culminating the meeting, which was held to resolve the serious political deadlock, without any headway. Both sides were adamant and did not budge from their positions during the hour-long meeting held at the Delhi deputy CM’s official residence, said a party legislators .The MLAs were called to Delhi for a discussion with AAP national convener and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, but he did not attend, leaving it to his deputy to try and end the crisis. “We told Sisodia that the undemocratic manner in which they made the change without consulting the MLAs was not acceptable and the decision must be reversed.