AAP leaders Yogendra Yadav and Prashant Bhushan, who were expelled from the party owing to anti-party activities, at a press conference a few days ago in New Delhi. (PTI photo) AAP leaders Yogendra Yadav and Prashant Bhushan, who were expelled from the party owing to anti-party activities, at a press conference a few days ago in New Delhi. (PTI photo)

The churning in the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) reached a climax late Monday night, with the party expelling senior leaders Yogendra Yadav, Prashant Bhushan, Anand Kumar and Ajit Jha. The party’s disciplinary committee, which was once headed by Bhushan, had sent the four leaders showcause notices for allegedly indulging in anti-party activities.

Also Read: Yadav, Bhushan hit back, accuse AAP leadership of violating party constitution

On their part, the four have maintained that the AAP has moved away from its ideals and has turned into a party run solely by Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal and “his coterie”.

An AAP statement said the committee, comprising Pankaj Gupta, Ashish Khetan and Dinesh Waghela, met Monday evening and considered the responses of Yadav, Bhushan and Kumar. Jha has not sent a reply so far.

The decision to sack them from the party was taken by the national disciplinary committee which said as it was not satisfied with the response it got to the show-cause notice.

Also Read: Full text of Yogendra Yadav’s reply to AAP’s show-cause notice

“The committee carefully considered responses furnished by Yadav, Bhushan and Kumar and found them unsatisfactory… (they) indulged in gross indiscipline and anti-party activities… Jha failed to furnish his response… The committee, therefore, has decided to expel all four members from the party,” the AAP statement said.

Also Read: Full text of Prashant Bhushan’s reply to AAP’s show cause notice

Cracking the whip, AAP tonight expelled rebel leaders Prashant Bhusan, Yogendra Yadav and two others for anti-party activities and “gross indiscipline”, two days after issuing a show-cause notice to them.

The rebels were given show-cause notice on April 17 to explain the reason for organising ‘Swaraj Samwad’.

Also Read: Quick sacking of AAP rebels meant to put focus back on ‘good’ work

Bhushan was charged with working for party’s defeat in the Delhi assembly polls. He was also charged with supporting AWAM, a break away group of the party.

Three of them responded to the notice except Jha.

In their response to the notice, the rebels today accused party chief Arvind Kejriwal of “gross violation” of its constitution and attacked two members of its disciplinary panel for allegedly doing a “planted” story and accepting donations from dubious firms.

Responding to show-cause notices issued by AAP’s National Disciplinary Committee (NDC), Bhushan and Yadav questioned its locus standi for seeking their reply, saying the panel was formed after the “illegal” and “unconstitutional” meeting of the party’s National Council on March 28.

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