New Delhi:
The AAP National Executive on Wednesday met to decide on the fate of its two senior leaders Prashant Bhushan and Yogendra Yadav even as attempts are being made for reconciliation of both the camps.
While Yadav has offered an olive branch to the party’s top brass saying the question of Arvind Kejriwal staying as National Convener has never been an issue while Bhushan has said that he was “firm on ethics”.
Ailing Delhi Chief Minister Kejriwal, who had yesterday said he was “hurt and pained” by the “ugly battle” in the party, will not be present for the meeting today. Bhushan and Yadav will attend the meeting.
Just before the NE committee meet, Ashish Khetan, a key member of AAP’s Delhi unit, which is demanding stern action against Yadav and Bhushan, softened his stand after having lashed out at the duo in tweets yesterday.
“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. Have deleted my tweets. I am accountable to every last volunteer & will forever work to strengthen the party,” Khetan said in tweets today.
The current crisis has the party split into three with one set of leaders firmly behind Kejriwal, the second being Yadav and Bhushan and the third, which has little say, comprising leaders who prefer not to take sides and are seeking a compromise.
“It never should be forgotten what both have done for the party in the past. Going by their credentials, it is very hard to believe that they were involved in anti-party activities,” said a senior party leader and member of the NE just before attending the meeting.
Another member added, “Still, if the committee finds some clinching evidence, then it should give a chance to both, by serving a show-cause notice to them.”
However, another party leader said, “Everything is crystal clear and now time demands strict action against the duo, to set a precedent for the future.”
“Deliberately maligning the image of the leader, in whom the 2 crore people of the state have shown immense faith, is incriminating,” said the leader, adding that Yadav and Bhushan should be ousted not only from the Political Affairs Committee, but also from AAP’s primary membership.
Currently, AAP has 21-odd members in it’s national executive committee and barring a few, like Kejriwal, all are likely to be present for the meeting.
