After chaotic meeting, Aam Aadmi Party expels Yogendra Yadav, Prashant Bhushan from national executive

After a turbulent meeting marred by chaos and protests, the Aam Aadmi Party expelled dissident senior leaders Prashant Bhushan, Yogendra Yadav and 2 others from its national executive body citing ‘anti-party activities’. Both Yadav and Bhushan alleged that the meeting was marked by hooliganism and the presence of goons, who were roughing up some of the national council members.

Party Chief and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, after making an emotional speech, left the meeting before the resolution was introduced by his loyalist Manish Sisodia. In Kejriwal’s absence, the meeting was chaired by Delhi Transport Minister Gopal Rai.Sources said that 167 council members of the 298-member body in attendance had signed a resolution asking for their removal from the body.

At a press conference later, both Yadav and Bhushan hit out at Kejriwal for inciting the members to raise slogans against them. “Arvind Kejriwal has dictatorial tendencies. Unfortunately, these tendencies have taken an ugly turn,” said Bhushan.

“It was a murder of democracy. Everything played out in accordance with a predetermined script and the resolution was moved and passed within minutes completely disregarding laid down procedures. It was a total farce,” said an agitated Yadav.

However, Ashutosh said both Yadav and Bhushan were intent on spreading lies and defaming the party.

“YY is spreading lies that NC members were beaten up in meeting. There was no scuffle or manhandling. It’s a cooked up story to gain sympathy,” he tweeted.

In another tweet, he said “Only a dozen members opposed proposal to expel them from NE (National Executive) and a few walked out of YY and PB. Overwhelming support to expel them
from NE.”

A large number of AAP volunteers from both camps descended at the venue of the meeting at Calista resort in Kapahsera border and engaged in sloganeering against each other.

A section of the volunteers supporting Kejriwal celebrated ouster of Bhushan and Yadav after the decision was made public.

The meeting is clearly an anti-climax to what bodes for the AAP in the future. The party’s decision now ensures that both Yadav and Bhushan would be kept out of key decision-making processes. They were earlier voted out of the party’s political affairs committee (PAC) in March.

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