The Indian Express (Delhi Edition)
Vishwas made AAP in-charge of Rajasthan
AMANATULLAH KHAN SUSPENDED ‘FOR MAKING ACCUSATORY STATEMENTS’
A DAY after senior Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Kumar Vishwas threatened to quit the party unless action was initiated against Okhla MLA Amanatullah Khan for making accusatory statements against him, the Political Affairs Committee (PAC) — the highest decision-making body in the party — decided to suspend Khan. The AAP on Wednesday also appointed Vishwas as the Rajasthan state in-charge.
Following a three-hour meeting of the PAC at party chief Arvind Kejriwal’s residence on Wednesday, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia told reporters, “The PAC has decided a few things today. After the statements made by Khan that the PAC had objected to, he had stepped down from the body. Now it has been decided that Khan will be suspended from the party and a committee headed by national secretary Pankaj Gupta and comprising Atishi Marlena and Ashutosh, will look into the allegations made by Khan, who will remain suspended till the committee takes a decision.”
“Also for a more active role for Kumar Vishwas, it has been decided that he will take over as Rajasthan state-incharge,” added Sisodia, who had recently taken charge of the state.
Pacified with the decisions, Vishwas, too, made an appearance with Sisodia outside Kejriwal’s residence after the meeting.
“I want to tell all volunteers, well wishers, functionaries, ministers and MLAS, who stood by the party and by me at such a time... I want to assure them on behalf of the party that whenever we will need course correction and we will need discussions and deliberations, we (party leaders) will sit together agreeing and disagreeing with each other,” he said.
“Personally I have said this earlier that I have no aspirations to become Chief Minister or Deputy CM. But some introspection and deliberations should have happened in the party, which are happening now. I am grateful for that. I also thank all those volunteers and leaders who, in these difficult times, came forward to support me. I assure them that the anti-corruption crusade from Jantar Mantar, the fight to rise above personal egos for a bigger fight that we had started, no hurdles will come in its way.”
Meanwhile, even as Sisodia called on Khan at his Jamia Nagar residence and tried to reach out to him, supporters of the MLA, a prominent minority face of the party, protested outside Kejriwal’s house. Khan, however, said, “I accept the party’s decision and will appear before the committee.”