Friday, December 19, 2025
ADVT 
India

After Expulsion, Yadav, Bhushan Describe Aam Aadmi Party As Khap

Darpan News Desk IANS, 21 Apr, 2015 12:37 PM
    After being expelled from their Aam Aadmi Party on Monday night for anti-party activities, Prashant Bhushan and Yogendra Yadav lambasted the party, describing it as a Khap Panchayat (kangaroo court).
     
    Although the two leaders termed their expulsion from the party as illegal, they said they would not contest it in the court.
     
    The AAP late Monday night removed Bhushan, Yadav, Ajit Jha and Anand Kumar for anti-party activities. 
     
    A fortnight after its historic victory in the Delhi polls, the party plunged into a crisis, with its founding members Bhushan and Yadav accusing its chief Arvind Kejriwal of having developed "dictatorial tendencies".
     
    Speaking at a press conference here on Tuesday, Bhushan, accompanied by Yadav, said: "It is no longer AAP. It is Khap." 
     
    "Ideally we can approach the court against all that they did. The reconstitution of the national disciplinary committee, the removal of Admiral Ramdas as the party Lokpal - everything was illegal. The question is why should we spend our energy in court?" he added. 
     
    The two leaders said though they were sad over their expulsion, they felt relieved as the "drama" is now over.
     
    Without mincing words, Bhushan went on to describe Kejriwal as a "dictator" who along with his "coterie" takes decision in the party.
     
    Reacting to Bhushan's and Yadav's allegations, AAP leader Ashutosh later said the dissident leaders had disrespected AAP's Political Affair Committee -- its key decision making body.
     
    "The leaders should have some shame as they have disrespected the Political Affairs Committee (PAC), National Executive and National Council they were a part of. They should not talk about democracy now," he said.
     
    Detailing about the procedure of expulsion, Dinesh Waghela, a member of AAP's National Disciplinary Committee, said the committee had gone through the replies of the rebel leaders properly.
     
    "We found that Bhushan, Yadav, Anand Kumar and Ajit Jha had indulged in anti-party activities. We unanimously decided to expel all the four rebel leaders from the party," he said.
     
    "An e-mail in this connection was sent to all the four expelled leaders on Monday night," he said, adding: "We will resend the copy of expulsion letter to them if they have not received it earlier."
     
    The party also termed the allegations levelled against its leaders Pankaj Gupta and Ashish Khetan by Bhushan as "baseless", saying the party would not order any inquiry against them.
     
    Bhushan accused AAP's general secretary Pankaj Gupta of accepting Rs.2 crore donation from shell companies and Khetan of writing a planted story in a magazine defending a telecom company, allegedly involved in the 2G spectrum scam.
     
    Meanwhile, Khetan, in response to Bhushan's allegation against him, said the charges are baseless, and added that if the allegations were proved, he would quit public life.
     
    "If Shanti Bhushan or Prashant Bhushan provide any proof regarding their allegations against me, I will quit the public life. If they fail in giving any proof, they should also quit the public life. The charges made against me bear no truth," Khetan told reporters.

    MORE India ARTICLES

    'India to overtake US in smartphones by 2016'

    'India to overtake US in smartphones by 2016'
    India will overtake the US as the second largest market for smartphones in the world by 2016 as smart mobile devices become affordable, global research firm eMarketer said Monday....

    'India to overtake US in smartphones by 2016'

    Vajpayee and Modi: Scarred inheritance

    Vajpayee and Modi: Scarred inheritance
    Over a decade after Atal Bihari Vajpayee relinquished power -- and in many ways withdrew from public life -- after an electoral defeat that his party never foresaw ...

    Vajpayee and Modi: Scarred inheritance

    BJP set to form government in Jharkhand

    BJP set to form government in Jharkhand
    The BJP Tuesday said it was ready to form a stable government in Jharkhand, with party president Amit Shah crediting the election victory to Prime Minister Narendra Modi....

    BJP set to form government in Jharkhand

    LED Street Lights Launched In Delhi

    LED Street Lights Launched In Delhi
    Urban Development Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu Saturday inaugurated LED street lights in the capital that consume 50 percent less energy compared to conventional ones.

    LED Street Lights Launched In Delhi

    Sonia Gandhi Hospitalised After Infection, Stable

    Sonia Gandhi Hospitalised After Infection, Stable
    Congress president Sonia Gandhi was Thursday admitted to the Sir Ganga Ram Hospital here for an infection in the lower respiratory tract. Her condition was stable, a hospital official said.

    Sonia Gandhi Hospitalised After Infection, Stable

    Chandigarh Avian Flu: Culling Of Birds Begins

    Chandigarh Avian Flu: Culling Of Birds Begins
    Authorities in Chandigarh Thursday evening started culling of all birds in and around the city's famous Sukhna lake after a dead goose was confirmed with the H5N1 (avian influenza or bird flu) virus.

    Chandigarh Avian Flu: Culling Of Birds Begins