Rebel protest affects AAP’s National Council Meeting

By Tarun Pratap

New Delhi: Aam Aadmi Party's fourth National Council meeting faced protest from the members of the party who were not invited to the meeting.

Rebels led by Prashant Bhushan and Yogendra Yadav protested the meeting and the suspension of the members. On the other hand, AAP sources clarified that the suspended members were informed regarding their suspension beforehand and protest was uncalled for.

Prashant Bhushan alleged Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, he said that AAP leaders have lost morals and the party is becoming Khap rather than AAP.

He also said it is a betrayal of Anna Hazare's dreams when asked about Kejriwal's hug with Lalu.

One of the founding members of the party Shanti Bhushan accused that about 40 members were suspended and 90 others were not invited to the meeting.

The existing AAP national council will be extended for next three years.

The National Council Meeting was supposed to discuss, Punjab, Bihar Polls, growing intolerance but no doubt that the protest must have been the main talking point.

AAP has always boasted about its internal democracy and how other parties lack it. However, AAP itself seems to have lost it. Whoever that has showed any kind of opposition within the party, was shown the door.

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The most important aspect of the democracy is to respect the opposition and its criticism. AAP authorities have not taken it well. AAP is becoming a one-man show. Arvind Kejriwal makes the tallest of the claims and then does something which is just the contrary.

He has been receiving flak from all sides for his hug with Lalu. While it should not be considered more than a courteous gesture but Kejriwal defending himself by saying that 'Lalu pulled me', proves that he himself thinks that he is wrong.

These cases are so common in Indian politics that public does not even get surprised. This point has been raised time and time again that AAP is a political party just like all the other parties and the claims of alternate politics are far from the reality.

A section of the population and media have now realised what to expect from them.

The problem in the Aam Aadmi Party is that it has become all about Kejriwal and he has a habit of making things personal. He keeps picking unnecessary battles and visiting uncalled destinations.

In India, every time when somebody has risen talking about bringing change, they claimed that their struggle was with the system, and not against someone in particular. Even Kejriwal started like this but then he picked those personal battles and lost focus of the bigger agenda. It's no coincidence that his battles are always with the ones who are in power.

First, it was Sheela Dikshit and Gandhis, since 2014 it has been Modi. A simple question is, was the fight not against corruption or all other issues? In Kejriwal's leadership, AAP has portrayed that they are honest but whoever is against them, lacks it. First it was Congress, then BJP, and then Prashant Bhushan and Yogendra Yadav were proved as entities that Kejriwal wanted them to be. It's somewhat like the right wing section that believes that if somebody is not with them, he or she is anti-national.

Anyone who showed support to Bhushan and Yadav was suspended. Clear signs that there is no place for the opposition in AAP. This has to be one of the most subtle dictatorships in the history of politics.

Earlier, Shanti Bhushan was invited for the National Council Meeting but after his comments, suspension orders might be on its way.

Kejriwal said that there has been a conspiracy in AAP for past three years. He seems to suggest that everyone is jealous of him and is not letting him work. He also repeated that he is aginst corruption and dynasty politics.

Kejriwal is running on thin wire thinking that audience will clap, but he needs to know that if he falls, people will laugh without having any sympathies.

(Inputs from agencies)

(Image credits: Huffingtonpost)