Senior AAP leader Yogendra Yadav addresses the Swaraj Samvad as Prashant Bhushan and other leaders look on in Gurgaon on Tuesday. (PTI)
Once again, it almost happened, and then didn't. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) today again stopped short of expelling rebel leaders Yogendra Yadav and Prashant Bhushan, who announced a separate group called the "Swaraj Abhiyan" on Tuesday after weeks of fierce infighting.
The party now says a disciplinary committee will decide on action against them. This was decided at a meeting of the Political Affairs Committee at party chief Arvind Kejriwal's residence.
Mr Yadav and Mr Bhushan yesterday held a day-long meeting where dissidents were encouraged to share their grievances against the party and Mr Kejriwal. They ended the day by announcing a "non-political group" based on the principles of "swaraj" or self-rule, which was widely considered extreme provocation and a precursor to possible expulsion.
"Let the execution take place and the trial will follow," Mr Bhushan said, borrowing a phrase from Alice in Wonderland.
The new group plans a "Swaraj Yatra" across the country. It also aims at being everything that the rebel leaders say AAP isn't anymore.
"We are a separate organization, but we are not a political party," said Mr Bhushan.
"There are two things we need to prove to ourselves before we enter electoral politics - that we can run an organisation based on the principles on Swaraj and that we can grapple with the pertinent questions of the country," he added.
Mr Yadav said, "Swaraj Samwad will be a federal outfit and states will take decisions freely. We have decided to bring ourselves under the RTI. All our expenses will be put up online and we will not be a one-man centric outfit. It will be a collective leadership."
Last month, the party sacked Mr Yadav and Mr Bhushan from all posts.
AAP accuses the two leaders of trying to unseat Mr Kejriwal and undermine the party's campaign in the Delhi election, which ended with a record result for India's youngest party, and brought Mr Kejriwal back for a second term as Chief Minister.