AAP rebels go apolitical, launch ‘Shreshta Bharat Abhiyan’

Following three days of deliberation, former Aam Aadmi Party members and rebels, led by Ashwini Upadhyay, announced the launch of ‘Shreshta Bharat Abhiyan’ (SBA) or Great India Movement on Sunday here.

The founders said this organisation will neither function as a political party nor align with any such organisation, and instead serve as a think-tank to the central government on national policies.
They said the apolitical organisation plans to work in tandem with the Centre and the state governments, but warned that it will protest misgovernance.  “On a broader level, SBA will recommend reforms in five critical areas — election, police, judicial, agriculture and education,” Upadhyay, SBA’s coordinator, said. Asserting that they does not hold anything against the AAP, the SBA members said the party, led by Arvind Kejriwal, made the mistake of blaming all political and executive institutions and worked against them.

“Ours is a democratic organisation and not centric to one man’s fancy. We will not accommodate anyone with vested interest. Anyone wanting to be member of SBA, must quit politics ,” he said.
The organisation claims to have on board experts like former Justice Santhosh Hegde, former UP DGP Prakash Singh, former director of NCERT Jagmohan Rajput, former IPS officer Y P Singh and waterman Dr Rajendra Singh. Advocates, former eminent jurists and members of India Against Corruption (IAC) and Association of Democratic Reforms were also said to be on board. None of them were present at the press conference.

Former senior AAP member Shazia Ilmi was yet to confirm her involvement, while Anna Hazare sent his emissary Vinayak Rao Patil.