It was exactly two years ago that three founder members -- Yogendra Yadav and the father-and-son duo of Shanti Bhushan and Prashant Bhushan -- were removed for speaking against Kejriwal. This time, it is poet-turned-politician Vishwas, who is a schoolmate and a close friend of Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia.
One of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) founding members Kumar Vishwas faces exit after he spoke against party convenor and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. Sources within the party said the message is clear and loud to him – either leave or stop speaking about party affairs in public. Vishwas on other hand has announced that he will decide his next course of action in the next few days.
Amid the fast-paced developments within the party, the scheduled meeting of AAP's Political Affairs Committee, the highest decision-making body, was cancelled abruptly. The meeting was to decide Vishwas' fate.
It was exactly two years ago that three founder members -- Yogendra Yadav and the father-and-son duo of Shanti Bhushan and Prashant Bhushan -- were removed for speaking against Kejriwal. This time, it is poet-turned-politician Vishwas, who is a schoolmate and a close friend of Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia.
Vishwas has urged Kejriwal, Sisodia and Sanjay Singh not to plot 'dirty things' against him or throw mud on him. "I know I will be targeted. The efforts to tarnish my image will be made. But let me tell those conspirators that I will not allow you to do so," he said while he broke down during a presser.
Minutes after Vishwas broke down saying he won't apologise for the video, in which he had criticised Kejriwal, Sisodia attacked him saying he was hurting the party's image.
Sisodia said that the AAP leader was making things personal and nobody had asked for his resignation. He further said that Vishwas should not speak to the media. "Vishwas was invited to party's PAC meet but he didn't turn up. If he has a problem with the party, he should raise it in the party forum," he said.
Vishwas on other hand denied that he would be joining any other political party. He clarified that he never wanted to become chief minister or deputy chief minister or any top post but will remain a volunteer. He had attacked Kejriwal for the latter's past stand on corruption within the party.
He said that party wrong decision led to debacle in polls and distrust. He also said that the party decision on Indian Army's operations in Jammu and Kashmir, nationalism and martyrs were 'incorrect'. "I am with the country on issue issues like situation of Indian Army in Jammu and Kashmir, nationalism and martyrs. I with my country moving above any politics or party."
Last month, Vishwas had released a 13-minute video titled 'We The Nation' in which he had hinted at corruption within AAP-led Delhi government. The video released after the AAP's poor performance in recently-concluded MCD elections, Vishwas had indirectly told Kejriwal, "If you are voted on the plank of anti-corruption, and then your own people are found to be indulging in corruption and you remain silent, people will question you."
Following which, Vishwas was attacked by many in the party. A party MLA from Okhla Amanatullah Khan accused him of hobnobbing with the BJP and the RSS. He had also accused Vishwas of acting at behest of BJP, which was ready to pay Rs 30 crore for each AAP turncoat legislator.
Lambasting the top leaders over this, Vishwas questioned party leaders as to why no action had been taken against the Okhla MLA. He said, "Amanatullah was merely a mask behind those hatching conspiracies against him. Had Amanatullah Khan said anything like this against Arvind or Manish, he would have been shown the door in 10 minutes."
He also denied to tender an apology for the video in which he had attacked Kejriwal for his stand on Indian Army's operations.
Earlier in the day, several AAP MLAs, including Kapil Mishra, met Vishwas, seeking to pacify him but yielded no results. Vishwas also remained adamant on Khan being sacked from the party.
Amanatullah had resigned from the party's PAC on Monday night.
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