As the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)’s National Executive went into a huddle to decide the fate of senior leaders Yogendra Yadav and Prashant Bhushan on Wednesday, AAP volunteers launched a social media campaign urging the leadership to stay united while scores of supporters gathered outside the meeting venue holding placards of unity.
The #UnitedAAP campaign, essentially a brainchild of the party’s NRI chapters, trended throughout the day on microblogging site Twitter in a clear indication of public interest around the marathon meet. “Removing @AapYogendra or Prashant Bhushan from PAC can’t solve the problem of AAP. It will create more problems. #UnitedAAP,” tweeted one Sitansu Shekhar.
Another supporter, Rakesh Parikh, tweeted, “Even the opponents of AAP and media are not rejoicing whatever happened. All want #UnitedAAP, AAP has touched people of India.” Outside the meet venue at Kapashera, supporters were seen holding posters with messages such as, “United we stand, divided we fall”, along with pictures of Kejriwal, Bhushan and Yadav in the same frame.
“In a large organisation, difference of opinion is expected but we believe that everyone involved in this issue has the best interest of party and our country at heart, and hence should remain united to tackle the larger problems of corruption, growth and human rights,” NRI supporters said, in an appeal emailed to the party’s National Executive members.
The appeal was signed by 32 AAP NRI chapters, including those in the US, the UK, Japan, Australia, France, Canada, North Carolina, Qatar, Kenya, New Zealand, the Netherlands, West Central Africa, Germany, Oman, Singapore, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Hong Kong.
Meanwhile, on Tuesday, the war of words among party leaders got uglier as senior leaders came out and targeted the Bhushan family. However, just before the NE committee meet, Ashish Khetan, a key member of AAP’s Delhi unit, softened his stand after having lashed out at the duo in tweets. “I should not have commented about Bhushans in public. We’ve fought for many public causes together and will hopefully continue to work as a team. I have deleted my tweets. I am accountable to every last volunteer and will forever work to strengthen the party,” said Khetan in tweets on Wednesday.