Saturday, December 20, 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

    Pakistan Rangers fire at Indian positions in Jammu and Kashmir

    Pakistan Rangers fire at Indian positions in Jammu and Kashmir
    Pakistan Rangers fired at Indian positions overnight on the international border in Samba and Jammu districts, causing no damage, police said Thursday....

    Pakistan Rangers fire at Indian positions in Jammu and Kashmir

    AAP names Bharti, 21 other candidates

    AAP names Bharti, 21 other candidates
    The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Thursday became the first to name candidates for the coming Delhi assembly elections, the list of 22 including former controversial law minister Somnath Bharti....

    AAP names Bharti, 21 other candidates

    Modi pushes for increased economic engagement with ASEAN

    Modi pushes for increased economic engagement with ASEAN
    Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi Wednesday met a host of Southeast Asian leaders as he made a major push to increase economic engagement ...

    Modi pushes for increased economic engagement with ASEAN

    Punjab, Haryana procure over 150 lakh tonnes paddy

    Punjab, Haryana procure over 150 lakh tonnes paddy
    Food grain states Punjab and Haryana have procured over 150 lakh tonnes of paddy this season, food and supplies officials in both states said Wednesday....

    Punjab, Haryana procure over 150 lakh tonnes paddy

    Pune girl wins 'Doodle 4 Google' contest

    Pune girl wins 'Doodle 4 Google' contest
    Pune's Vaidehi Reddy won the sixth edition of the "Doodle4Google" contest. The winning doodle would go live on the Google India homepage on Children's Day, Nov 14...

    Pune girl wins 'Doodle 4 Google' contest

    Chinese intrusions small issue, 'happens many times': Parrikar

    Chinese intrusions small issue, 'happens many times': Parrikar
    Union Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar Wednesday played down intrusions along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) by the Chinese army calling most violations as...

    Chinese intrusions small issue, 'happens many times': Parrikar