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Seniors of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Tuesday issued a statement, explaining the reasons for dismissing leaders Prashant Bhushan and Yogendra Yadav from the party’s top decision-making body, the Political Affairs Committee (PAC).
The party said the two, along with Shanti Bhushan, were working to “weaken the party” and to ensure its defeat in the Delhi elections. The party charged Bhushan of encouraging volunteers not to campaign and donate for the AAP. It alleged Yadav planted stories in the media to dent AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal’s image.
“It is unfortunate when all our volunteers were working hard, these senior leaders were making efforts to weaken the party and working towards the party’s defeat in Delhi,” leaders Manish Sisodia, Gopal Rai, Pankaj Gupta and Sanjay Singh told mediapersons.
They alleged Bhushan was limiting the AAP’s tally to 20-22 seats in the Delhi Assembly to ensure a leadership change. “Around two weeks before the elections, Bhushan told Ashish Khetan he wanted the party’s tally (in the Delhi elections) be limited to 20-22 seats so that a defeat leads to a leadership change,” they alleged.
According to sources, a few “core volunteer MLAs” of the party will come out with more allegations the duo on Wednesday. The statement said 10 seniors had visited Prashant and Shanti Bhushan thrice before the Delhi elections, urging them not to make any hostile statement in the media.
“At a time when our leaders were supposed to campaign for the Delhi polls, they were busy appeasing them,” the AAP statement read.
Bhushan termed this a “smear campaign”, in response to the questions raised by Yadav and him. “They have said similar things through smaller leaders openly in the past. However, it’s good this has come out in the open. We have been talking about issues related to the founding principles of the party. In response to this, they are running a smear campaign against us. This is unfortunate,” Bhushan told Business Standard. He said they would come out with an official response soon.
The party said it had concrete proof to show how Yadav planted negative stories to damage the AAP and ruin Kejriwal’s image.
Yadav alleged MLAs were being forced to sign a letter against him. “I hope this ends,” Yadav reportedly told agencies.
Yadav said the statement would open the scope of a transparent dialogue. “I welcome the statement by four colleagues. (This) begins the possibility of open and transparent dialogue. Truth shall prevail. Hope this statement ends all slander, planting of allegations. Hope no more coercion of party functionaries and Delhi MLAs on this issue,” Yadav said in a series of ‘tweets’.
