This Article is From Mar 29, 2015

AAP Punishes Yogendra Yadav, Prashant Bhushan, Sacks Them From Key Panel

AAP Punishes Yogendra Yadav, Prashant Bhushan, Sacks Them From Key Panel

AAP leaders Yogendra Yadav and Prashant Bhushan at a press conference in New Delhi (Press Trust of India photo)

New Delhi: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) today sacked founder members Yogendra Yadav and Prashant Bhushan from a key panel, in a controversial meeting that the two leaders said went against every principle that the party stood for. AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal accused the two leaders of working against the party and said, "Yogendra Yadav, Prashant Bhushan tried to defeat AAP in Delhi polls."

Here are 10 developments in the story:

  1. At a resort on the outskirts of Delhi, around 250 AAP leaders voted Mr Yadav, Mr Bhushan and two others, out of the party's National Executive.

  2. "It was murder of democracy," said Mr Yadav, alleging that bouncers dragged his supporters out of the meeting so that Mr Kejriwal's supporters could prevail. Mr Bhushan alleged "goondagardi (hooliganism)."

  3. Mr Yadav and Mr Bhushan did not rule out legal action, saying "all options are open."

  4. They openly hit out at Arvind Kejriwal. "He has displayed today that is that he is willing to use his dictatorial powers to ruthlessly stifle dissent and ruthlessly stop any discussion or opposition to what he wants," Mr Bhushan said.

  5. Mr Kejriwal, chief minister of Delhi, did not vote and left after making an hour-long speech in which he reportedly tore into his critics in the party. He returned later in the evening, and said in an emotional speech, "Yogendra Yadav, Prashant Bhushan tried to defeat AAP in Delhi polls. Prashant Bhushan betrayed my trust, cannot work with him. I trusted Bhushan, went to jail for 15 days."

  6. Hours later, activist Medha Patkar quit the party condemning the way Mr Yadav and Mr Bhushan were treated. "We didn't expect this from AAP," she said.

  7. AAP rubbished the allegations. "The talk about bouncers is totally false. We have signatures from 247 people, eight people voted in their favour," said party leader Sanjay Singh.

  8. The infighting has hit India's newest party just after it took power in Delhi following a record poll victory.

  9. On Friday, a secretly-taped phone conversation was leaked, in which Mr Kejriwal was heard abusing Mr Bhushan and Mr Yadav and saying, "Any other party would have thrown them out."

  10. Mr Yadav and Mr Bhushan claim they are being forced out of the party for demanding more transparency and internal democracy. A disciplinary committee is likely to decide on them soon.



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