Acrimony in AAP ranks just keeps frothing

MP Bhagwant Mann says Bhushan got away lightly, Ashutosh sees plot against Kejriwal.

Aam Aadmi Party members Yogendra Yadav and Prashant Bhushan speak to mediapersons after the party’s national executive committee meeting in New Delhi on Wednesday. (Source: PTI Photo)

The turmoil in the Aam Aadmi Party seems no closer to ending, with several leaders coming out in support of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and attacking Yogendra Yadav and Prashant Bhushan. This comes after a week of very public bickering in the party leading to the ouster of Yadav and Bhushan from the highest political decision-making body by the National Executive on March 4.

In the aftermath of that meeting, executive member Mayank Gandhi then wrote two blogs, the second of which suggests that he was being humiliated “so he would quit”.

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The AAP’s most vocal parliamentarian, Bhagwant Mann, on Sunday spoke out in support of Kejriwal and said that there should have been more severe action against Prashant Bhushan. “We should not forget that the party is supreme and not any individual. People from Punjab will stand with Arvind Kejriwal,” he told ANI. Mann also said that “Prashant Bhushan has been treated with leniency as of now” and that “action (against him) should have been stricter”.

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The convenor of the AAP’s Delhi unit, Ashutosh, also alleged that Bhushan had written to Kejriwal in September, asking that Yadav be made convenor. “Around August-September, Prashantji wrote to Arvind in strong words. He said, he will hold a press conference and destroy the party, if Arvind doesn’t resign and Yogendra is not made the convener,” he said.

A day after he said that Kejriwal had broken down during a party National Executive meeting, Ashutosh also said that Kejriwal had come close to quitting politics after the party’s Lok Sabha debacle. “When Arvind broke into tears in Jangpura, he went back home, held discussions with his family and decided to quit politics. Prashantji and Yogendraji came to his house, (and it ) was unanimously decided later during NE meeting (that) Arvind can take decisions till Delhi polls,” he said.

Member of both the political affairs committee and the national executive, Sanjay Singh, too attacked Yogendra Yadav and said Yadav’s letter in June, where he had said that the AAP was moving towards a personality cult, “demoralised workers”.

“At a time when the party was trying to get back on its feet, Yadavs letter hurt us. Arvind Kejriwal doesn’t work for himself, he hasn’t even keep any portfolio for himself,” he said.

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