Several senior AAP legislators demanded the expulsion of Okhla MLA Amanatullah Khan from the party, vowing to not relent till the axe falls on him
Senior AAP legislators demanded the expulsion of Okhla MLA Amanatullah Khan from the party, vowing to not relent till the axe falls on him. It has been learnt that few MLAs of the party have signed a letter, urging the top leadership of the party to expel him.
A separate letter, with the same demand, has also been released by a Punjab MLA of the party. Delhi Ministers Kapil Mishra, Imran Hussain, Dwarka MLA Adarsh Shastri are among the signatories to the letter, a party source said. "Amanatullah has lost his mental balance," Hussain tweeted. The party's Political Affairs Committee (PAC), chaired by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, is expected to take a call on the issue tonight. Incidentally, Khan is a member of the PAC.
When contacted, Khan said the whole campaign was "scripted" and added that he will attend the scheduled meeting. He said barely "four to five MLAs" supported the signature campaign against him. The development comes days after Khan had alleged that Kumar Vishvas was trying to "usurp" the AAP and that he harbours ambitions of leading the party.
A senior leader, speaking on the condition of anonymity, alleged that apart from his recent attempt to drive a wedge between Kejriwal and Vishvas, Khan had also "worked against the party's interests" in the recently held municipal polls, where the AAP received a drubbing."If he has proof then he should present it to the PAC. The charges that he has levelled are serious and if he fails to produce any evidence to back it up then he should be expelled from the party," Chandni Chowk MLA Alka Lamba said.
Earlier, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal sought to send a stern message to partymen after some of them criticised senior AAP leader Kumar Vishvas as he had pointed to reasons other than the leadership's claim of tampering of EVMs for the party's recent poll defeats.
Party chief Kejriwal warned them against trying to create a rift between him and his "younger brother" Vishvas, after AAP's Okhla MLA Amanatullah Khan alleged earlier today that Vishvas was trying to "usurp" the Aam Aadmi Party and that he harbours ambitions of leading the party.
On Friday, contrary to the party line that EVM rigging was behind AAP's loss in the Punjab Assembly and MCD polls, Vishvas had pointed to reasons other than alleged tampering of electronic voting machines and said there is a communication gap between the top brass and volunteers.
He said AAP was getting "Congressised" to an extent.
Khan, a member of the party's Political Affairs Committee (PAC), its apex decision-making body, also claimed that poet- turned-politician Vishvas has been calling MLAs to his residence and coaxing them to rebel against Kejriwal or to join the BJP.
"Kumar Vishvas is trying to usurp the AAP and break the AAP. He is calling MLAs to his residence and saying that he should be made the party convener. Or else, they (MLAs) can join the BJP, which is ready to pay Rs 30 crore to each MLA.
This is what (Swaraj India President and expelled AAP leader) Yogendra Yadav also wants. "I think this is happening at the behest of the BJP. It has deployed four MLAs to take AAP legislators to Kumar Vishvas' house. This has been confirmed by at least 10 party MLAs," Khan said in a message circulated to the media.
"Yesterday, a minister also convened a meeting of four MLAs," he added.
When contacted Khan did not elaborate on the message and said he will "spill the beans" at an appropriate time.
The message, however, did not go down well with Kejriwal who said some people were trying to create a rift between him and Vishvas.
"Kumar is my younger brother. Some people are trying to create a rift between us. Such people are enemies of the party. They better mend their ways. No one can separate us," Kejriwal tweeted.
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