With the removal of Prashant Bhushan and Yogendra Yadav from the National Executive (NE) for their “anti-party activities”, a video was put up of party chief Arvind Kejriwal speaking during the National Council meeting. He said, “When the whole of Delhi stood behind us, some friends of ours cheated us. I am saying this with a heavy heart that when the whole of Delhi was with us, some friends backstabbed us.”
Though an edited video was put on social media on Sunday, it revealed that Kejriwal launched an all-out attack on Bhushan and Yadav and accused them of trying to realise their personal ambitions under the garb of raising issues of principles, and, in the process, weaken the party.
In an emotional speech, Kejriwal said, “Conspiracies were hatched to ensure our defeat in the Delhi polls. AVAM (a breakaway group) was formed and it was supported. It then came in the media that AVAM members were former BJP members and the BJP was funding them.”
During the speech, Kejriwal stated clearly that Prashant Bhushan told “many people that we think the party should lose, and then only can the party and Kejriwal learn a lesson. If you don’t do this, then we will go before the media and destroy the party.” Targeting Yadav, Kejriwal said stories were being planted to tarnish his image. “Stories were planted. Senior editors of two big news channels have told me that Yogendra Yadav was planting stories against me,” he said.
Kejriwal also lashed out at Shanti Bhushan for giving interviews critical of him just before the Delhi polls. Kejriwal said many donors were discouraged from donating and volunteers stopped from campaigning. “Many volunteers wanted to come to Delhi. They were stopped. Many donors were stopped from campaigning. The limit was when our senior leader (Shanti Bhushan) of the party said that Kiran Bedi was his first choice, Ajay Maken was the second choice and Kejriwal is the third choice. I want to know then, why are you into this party,” he asked.
He further said that the negotiations over the past few days from the side of Bhushan and Yadav were nothing but a sham under the veil of principles. “When I came back from Bengaluru, I spoke to members of my team and sent them the same night to speak to Yogendra bhai.
From that day till Thursday, we tried our best to resolve the problem. Yadav and Bhushan first said they had five demands which, if met, they would quit all party posts. It was slightly shocking; normally people say either fix the party or we will quit. It was all a sham,” Kejriwal added.
The party had done a thorough scanning of the 12 candidates following objections from Bhushan and Yadav, said Kejriwal, adding that names were even referred to lokpal Admiral l Ramdas. Kejriwal said, “Who would have asked had we not won 28 seats (in 2013 polls). With Rs3 lakh, we defeated Sheila Dikshit. I won with people’s support and not through dishonest means. We did a thorough enquiry of all 12 candidates.
Then we asked the lokpal. The lokpal cleared 12 candidates. Despite this, the complaint was given to the media and media maligned them. Some people say victory or defeat is not important, but I don’t believe in that politics. There are 1,350 parties in the country, but does anyone know about those 1,350 partiesIJ Today people know about the AAP because we have won. We are here to win. We will win, but not through dishonest means.”
Accusing Bhushan of trying to portray that Kejriwal was not ready for rapprochement, the Delhi Chief Minister said every communication between the two went before the media. Speaking directly to Bhushan, he said, “Your purpose was not to meet, but to tell this to the world that look I want to meet, but Arvind does notIJ This led to weakening of Kejriwal. A message was sent to the world that look Kejriwal does not want to meet his own leaders.”
On Yadav and Bhushan’s demand, Kejriwal said some of the demands were not possible to meet. “No party makes the active volunteers’ list of public, of its booth-level workers. Other parties will threaten them if the list comes out. If there is one thing which is a secret, it is our list of booth agents and volunteers. Then they say every decision of the party should be taken by volunteers through secret voting. Is this possibleIJ” Kejriwal asked.
While concluding, he said, “I have borne the brunt of this (defeat). When I was moving out from my Kaushambi residence, some security guards taunted me ‘bada hero banna chahta tha. Pradhan Mantri banne chala tha, laut ke buddhu ghar ko aaye (Wanted to become a superhero. Wanted to become Prime Minister, but got nothing)’. I have gone through a lot. From that point to winning 67 seats, it was a big thing.”