A party with zero seats is laughing at our expense: Kumar Vishwas on AAP rift

NEW DELHI: The rift within the Aam Aadmi Party is turning out to be a free-for-all with party spokesperson Kumar Vishwas slamming Yogendra Yadav and Prashant Bhushan for reducing the historic Delhi mandate to a joke with their bickerings.

"If a party with zero seats in Delhi is laughing at your expense, then there is seriously something wrong within the party. This is really sad for the thousands of volunteered for the party to get those historic numbers in the Capital. I want to apologise on their behalf," he told Times Now. Vishwas minced no words when he said anti-party activities will not be tolerated and that strict action will be taken against such people, despite their significance.

Vishwas was hopeful that the current crisis will tide over. "I believe that AAP will further strengthen after the National Council meeting."

Yogendra Yadav had hit back at the party leadership, accusing it of forcing Delhi MLAs to sign papers against him and Prashant Bhushan and said the country would know know the "whole truth" very soon.
Yadav challenged the party leadership to make their response to the allegations public.

Hope it ends all slander: Yogendra Yadav



His statement comes in the backdrop of allegations by the party top brass-- Manish Sisodia, Gopal Rai, Pankaj Gupta and Sanjay Singh-- that the duo along with Shanti Bhushan worked for the party's defeat and maligned the image of Arvind Kejriwal.

"They should not put pressure on members to speak out against us or force Delhi MLAs to sign papers against us.

"Hope this statement ends all slander, planting of allegations. Hope no more coercion of party functionaries and Delhi MLAs on this issue. Hope Prashant Bhushan and my response will also be duly publicised by the party media. Hope party's website will be opened for all volunteers' responses," the AAP leader said.

Yadav said the party's internal Lokpal can probe any allegations against any member. "In this case since the Lokpal has already written a letter expressing his intent to investigate so let him do that. Truth shall prevail," the AAP leader said.

Responding to the allegations, Bhushan said that he will continue to fight for inner party democracy, transparency, Swaraj and accountability. "We have not come to make another political party, which is just a machine of wining elections by any means."

"I think, the time has now come for the country to know the whole truth about this matter. Very soon, they will know the whole truth.

"It is good that those things that were being said through other people with the kind of innuendos and allegations that were being made are now being made by frontline leaders of the party," the senior lawyer said.

Delhi unit convenor Ashutosh batted for "minimum discipline" in the party, saying that individuals are important, but organisation is bigger than everyone.

"No organisation will survive if it does not observe minimum discipline. Individuals are important but organisation is bigger/rule is for all," Ashutosh tweeted.