Delhi: AAP expels senior party functionary

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) expelled Ashwini Upadhyay, a national council member, for his alleged 'anti-party activities', a move immediately questioned by Upadhyay, who said he will file a defamation case.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Sunday expelled Ashwini Upadhyay, a national council member, for his alleged “anti-party activities”, a move immediately questioned by Upadhyay, who said he will file a defamation case.

“I came to know about my expulsion only through the media. I have neither received any show cause notice earlier nor any communication about expulsion,” Upadhyay said.

“I will file a defamation case against this. Let me get the document and will file a case against whosoever has signed it,” he said.

Upadhyay, who claimed himself to be the convenor of the AAP’s legal cell - but denied by the party — has been raising several questions for the past at least a month in connection with several decisions by the party and the functioning of the party.

The issues that he raised included Ford Foundation grants to NGOs run by AAP leaders Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia; alleged deal with the Congress and deviating from basic issues for which the party was formed.

Earlier, Upadhyay had announced that he had support of about 200 national council members of the little more than a year old party and they would pass a resolution at a meeting on Sunday that another AAP leader Kumar Vishwas lead the party instead of Kejriwal.

However, Vishwas, apparently to contradicted his claims in a tweet: “Besides being my leader, AK is my brother too! Whosoever is trying to reap a divide is unaware of our strong bonding. Luv U @ArvindKejriwal (sic).”

Upadhyay claimed he had met Vishwas on Friday and apprised him of the situation, especially the disgruntlement among the old guard of the party. “He agreed with most of the issues and said this indeed was a problem,” Upadhyay claimed. HT could not independently verify if this meeting indeed happened as Vishwas could not be contacted.