Dissident Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders Yogendra Yadav and Prashant Bhushan on Monday hit back at the party leadership, claiming that it indulged in “gross violation” of the constitution while also accusing the National Disciplinary Committee (NDC) members Pankaj Gupta and Ashish Khetan of accepting donations from dubious companies besides doing a ‘paid news’ story favouring a company.
In his response to the showcause notice of the NDC, Yadav questioned the locus standi of the panel saying since the National Executive (NE) meeting held on March 29 was illegal, the decisions taken in that meeting were also illegal in nature.
“Major political decisions were taken bypassing the relevant decision-making bodies. No committee was even consulted in major decisions like resignation of Delhi Government in February 2014, diversion of resources to Varanasi and Amethi constituencies and the allocation of funds to candidates during the lok Sabha elections. The majority NE decision (15 for, 4 against) to allow State units to decide about State Assembly elections were not implemented till it was reversed in the next meeting. The PAC decision on the CM staging a dharna was unilaterally overturned by the CM himself,” Yadav said.
“The selection of candidates in Delhi election this year was done without adequately involving or even informing the PAC,” Yadav said. He added that this has led to an “undeclared Emergency” in the party. He also attacked Kejriwal and his “coterie” for gross
violation of party constitution and has systematically removed all opposition. “The party’s leader and the coterie around him have repeatedly violated the letter and the spirit of the party’s constitution. They have also systematically removed any person, forum or institution within the party where these acts could be questioned and redressed. Therefore, I cannot but laugh at references to swaraj and democratic procedures in the complaint that you have forwarded. Some of these gross violations have led to a complete breakdown of constitutional order within the party. In fact, when the leadership of the party indulges in gross violation of the letter and spirit of the constitution of the party, conformity to its diktats is an anti-party activity. Rescuing the organisation from this state of affairs is not indiscipline, it is the duty of every volunteer,” he said in his reply.
Meanwhile, Bhushan in his response to the notice which was issued to him on April 17 questioned the move saying both Gupta and Khetan had leveled allegations against him and in such a scenario, how can they be “judges” in this case. The party’s NDC, headed by Dinesh Waghela with Khetan and Gupta as its members, had charged Bhushan with anti-party activities by asking people not to make donations to the party.
“You also know that there have been serious charges against you yourself, which should have been referred to the National lokpal, Admiral Ramdas. These included the acceptance of donations of Rs2 crore from shell companies, without taking the approval of the PAC as required by the party’s rules, as well as of stalling and not executing the decisions of the National Disciplinary Committee, which I was heading and of which you were a member. But instead of referring those serious allegations against you to the lokpal as required by the party constitution, you have now removed Admiral Ramdas!” Bhushan said in his response to the notice.
He also accused Khetan of writing a “planted” story and added that instead of sacking the former journalist, Khetan has now been rewarded by being appointed as the chairperson of the Delhi Dialogue Commission (DDC) and as a member of the National Disciplinary Committee.
The party too hit back saying the rebel leaders had no respect for institutions in the party. “Before reply reaches the NDC, it reaches to all the channels; this is their commitment and resolves to respect institutions. I repeat YY (Yogendra Yadav)/PB (Prashant Bhushan) are masters in shadow boxing and media leaks. They talk about respect for institutions. They will disrespect PAC, NE and NC as it did not decide in their favour. And now disrespecting NDC,” a party leader said.
Rebutting the charges of donations, the party said that even the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) had given a clean chit to the donations of AAP. “They are making fun of themselves when they are making such charges. Ashish Khetan does not need the certificate of media on his journalism,” AAP leader Ashutosh came out in defence of their leaders.