Non-voters expelled us, alleges Yadav

Ananya Panda

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, March 28

Barely an hour after AAP founder members Yogendra Yadav and Prashant Bhushan were removed from the party's National Executive on Saturday, the duo held a press conference here alleging that non-voters voted them out.

Yadav alleged: “There was no identification of voting and non-voting members during the National Council, after his and Prashant Bhushan's expulsion.”

He alleged that Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had threatened to quit from all party posts if the National Council members wanted to keep him and Bhushan in the party.

Yadav said today's “tragedy” should not be linked to the party's anti-graft movement.

“When a supporter was beaten up, I asked Arvind to intervene and was also supported by MLA Devinder Sehrawat. But Arvind stood mum and later finished his speech in a dramatic manner,” he alleged.

Bhushan said:  “The party which we created with hard work has stooped to this hooliganism. It is for everyone to guess why the voting didn't happen through secret ballot.”

Attacking Kejriwal for his “dictatorial” tendencies and for “ruthlessly stifling” voices of dissent, Bhushan said all options were open to them to challenge the decision.

“It is true that we can move the court, the Election Commission or call another meeting of the NC. All options are open,” he said.

Later, MP from Punjab Prof Dharamvir Gandhi also spoke.

Gandhi said, “The minimum standards of intra-party democracy were not followed in the way the resolution was brought."

He said as “the request of following basic principles and allowing them to speak and discuss was rejected”, he moved out of the meeting along with four other members.