New Delhi: A day after being expelled from AAP, founding members, Prashant Bhushan and Yogendra Yadav hit out at their former party colleagues.
“AAP has become a khap panchayat with one leader. There is a dictator in AAP and everybody has to follow him,” Prashant Bhushan said in a press conference on Tuesday.
“We are disappointed with what the AAP has been reduced to,” Bhushan said.
“Instead of taking action against people who are violating the AAP’s spirit and constitution, action was taken against us,” Prashant Bhushan said.
Both leaders hit back with scathing, public replies to the notice on Monday, leaving little scope for reconciliation. An AAP statement said the two had been expelled for “gross indiscipline and anti-party activities,” and the decision was unanimous.
Yogendra Yadav said, “I was first angry. Why expel us this way in the middle of the night? Then I just felt sad.”
Yadav and Bhushan said they were hounded for taking on Arvind Kejriwal, who is the chief minister of Delhi, and objecting to what they called his dictatorial ways.
AAP charged the two of trying to unseat Mr Kejriwal and sabotage AAP’s campaign for the Delhi election, which ended with a record result for India’s youngest party.
The infighting that began just days after that victory peaked last week when the rebels announced a new campaign, “Swaraj Abhiyan,” and offered a platform for disenchanted party volunteers to openly voice their criticism and vote on the possibility of forming a new party.
Action is now expected against more rebels, including Prashant Bhushan’s father and former law minister Shanti Bhushan, and Mayank Gandhi, a senior AAP leader in Maharashtra.
“When will you throw me out, Arvind? I am waiting for that impatiently. Arvind should adopt Hitler’s dress as he has already adopted his ways,” said Shanti Bhushan.