Gujarat AAP farmer wing chief Raju Karpada resigns from all posts, writes to Arvind Kejriwal

Karpada’s resignation letter, issued from Surendranagar, states that “due to personal reasons” it had become impossible for him to continue to perform the duties given by the party.

Karpada posted his resignation letter on Facebook with an accompanying text that read, “Friends, today I am resigning from all the posts of the Aam Aadmi Party. My decision will definitely surprise you. I have given special importance and time, even more than my family, to make the party strong, but destiny has written that this would only be up to this point. If I have ever hurt anyone’s feelings, I apologise. I sincerely thank the national leadership and state leadership of the Aam Aadmi Party, as well as all my colleagues and farmers for giving me love.”

‘Raju Karpada fought for farmers’ rights’

AAP state chief Isudan Gadhvi said he had not spoken to Karpada about his resignation. “At present, there is no information about what compulsion led Raju Bhai to resign, but he carried out strong movements to ensure justice for farmers, fair prices for farmers, and against the loot being carried out by the BJP. Because of this, both the Aam Aadmi Party and the farmers strongly supported Raju Bhai,” Gadhvi said in a statement.
Gadhvi’s statement also referred to the party’s Kisan Mahapanchayat at Haddad, where thousands of farmers had gathered in a protest against price-cutting practices. “After the agitation, the BJP Government carried out a lathicharge on farmers and farmer leaders, and false cases were filed against around 85 farmers and leaders, including Raju Karpada and Pravin Ram, and they were sent to jail. Despite this, the farmers and leaders remained firm and continued their struggle,” he said.

Further, Gadhvi accused the BJP of trying to weaken farmer movements and intimidate AAP leaders. “BJP keeps attempting in one way or another to break and harass Aam Aadmi Party leaders, and even in jail, leaders and workers were subjected to atrocities,” the statement read.

Gadhvi added that the trust of Gujarat’s farmers, labourers, and working class in the AAP remained intact and that the party would “relentlessly” work for farmers’ rights and justice.