Jolt to AAP as Delhi minister Raaj Kumar Anand quits party, says it is ‘no more honest’

Tribune News Service

Samad Hoque

New Delhi, April 10

In the first setback to the Aam Aadmi Party after the arrest of its national convener and Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Delhi minister Raaj Kumar Anand on Wednesday resigned from the Cabinet as well as the party.

Addressing the media, Anand, whose portfolios included Social Welfare, Schedule Castes and Scheduled Tribes and Labour, targeted AAP over the alleged involvement of its leaders in corrupt practices.

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Referring to the liquor excise policy case and the arrest of top leaders Kejriwal and former Deputy CM Manish Sisodia, he said AAP had seen a downfall from being an “anti-corruption watchdog to a party that’s involved in corruption”. “I had joined AAP to honestly pay back to the society. But the party is now itself in the middle of corrupt practices. That’s why I have decided to quit,” he said.

Anand also alleged that the party that spoke about following the principles of Bhim Rao Ambedkar had been discriminating against Dalits. “There is no Dalit MLA or councillor in AAP. Dalit leaders are not even appointed to leadership positions. I follow the principles of Baba Saheb Ambedkar. If I cannot work for Dalits, there is no point in being in the party,” he said.

In response to his resignation, Delhi Cabinet Minister Saurabh Bhardwaj alleged that Anand had quit AAP under the BJP’s pressure.

Earlier this month, Delhi Minister Atishi had alleged that the BJP was pressurising AAP MLAs to quit the party and join it.

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