it was difficult to survive in the party if disagreed with Kejriwal: KUmar Vishwas
NEW DELHI : Soon after the Aam Aadmi Party announced its Rajya Sabha nominees, disgruntled AAP leader Kumar Vishwas on January 3 attacked Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, saying he had been punished for speaking the truth.
Mr. Vishwas, who was angling for an Rajya Sabha slot, said that it was difficult to survive in the party if one disagreed with Mr. Kejriwal.His comments came as the party named Sanjay Singh, Sushil Gupta and N.D. Gupta as its Rajya Sabha nominees.
While Mr. Singh has been associated with the party since its inception, Mr. Sushil Gupta is a Delhi-based businessman and Mr. N.D. Gupta a chartered accountant.
“In the last one-and-a-half years, I spoke the truth, whether it is Arvind Kejriwal’s decisions or issues like surgical strike, irregularities in ticket distribution, softness towards extremists in Punjab, JNU incident, among others, and I have been rewarded in the form of punishment,” Mr. Vishwas told reporters in New Delhi. “I think that it is a moral victory for a true revolutionary, poet and friend.”
Taking a dig at Mr. Kejriwal for nominating Mr. N.D. Gupta and Mr. Sushil Gupta to the Raya Sabha, Mr. Vishwas said that he wanted to congratulate AAP volunteers that their voice has been heard in choosing the “great revolutionaries”.
The AAP leader alleged that around one-and-a-half years ago Mr. Kejriwal had, in a party’s national executive meeting, said with a smile, “We will finish you, but we will not let you be a martyr”.“I want to congratulate [Mr. Kejriwal] that I have accepted my martyrdom,” Mr. Vishwas said.
Elections to three Rajya Sabha seats from Delhi are to be held on January 16. The AAP, which has 66 seats in the 70-member Assembly, is set to win all the three. The last date for filing the nominations is January 5.
Manish Sisodia introduced the two Mr Guptas as eminent people, listing their public service and work in the party. I have never felt more disappointed with this party. They couldn’t have been more blatant about their shady dealings,” Mr Vishwas said.
He said his criticism of several decisions taken by party boss Mr Kejriwal since last year were “my honest opinions and I have been punished for that,” adding, “I was told by Kejriwal you have died but I will not let you become a martyr…Today I can say, don’t interfere with a dead body. Don’t spread the bad smell.”
“I’m speechless, stunned and ashamed,” said former AAP leader and Swaraj India founder Yogendra Yadav, adding “I used to say, whatever his other faults Arvind Kejriwal cannot be bought… Now I don’t know what to say.”
The decision to field Mr Singh and the Guptas was taken at Chief Minister Kejriwal’s residence in a meeting attended by around 56 party lawmakers this morning. AAP’s highest decision making body, the Political Affairs Committee (PAC) met soon after and formally endorsed the decision. Kumar Vishwas, who is a member of the PAC, was not present.
On 28th November, 2017, Sushil Gupta quit Congress and joined AAP. And without much ado, the party selected him to be their candidate for the Rajya Sabha. Any person who thinks with logic and sense can figure out why this has happened — money must have exchanged hands.
Sushil Gupta’s business interest lies in properties. He has shown assets worth Rs 164 crores. The party, I’m aware, is going through a huge financial crisis. Donors have stopped giving money to the party and money has stopped flowing into the coffers of the party.
The nominations for the Rajya Sabha only show that the party, in all its wisdom, must have thought that they could get money by selling the Rajya Sabha seat—which is what has happened here. And they need money to fight elections in the future.
Coming to ND Gupta’s case, again, it’s not very difficult to put things in perspective. Considering that the party is grappling with the issues of funds and that over 35 Income Tax notices have been given to the party, they have now selected a chartered accountant who has absolutely no history with the party to send to the Rajya Sabha. If this is not humiliating for the party workers, then what is?
Today, AAP is acting like BSP and selling tickets to the Rajya Sabha, has broken the faith of thousands and it is my hope that the existing volunteers understand that the dream of alternative politics is completely over.(With Agency Inputs ).
