AAP suspends rebel MLA Sehrawat, committee to probe allegations

NEW DELHI: The Aam Aadmi Party has suspended rebel Bijwasan MLA Col Devinder Sehrawat from its primary membership.

The Delhi Disciplinary Committee of AAP took the action after “receiving a series of complaints against him”.

An AAP leader said the committee will look into the allegations against the MLA during the course of which he will remain suspended.

Sehrawat dared the party to expel him. “If you have the courage, sever the ties and expel. With 67 MLAs you could not perform, You dont have it in you So Get out of the Way .... (sic.),” Sehrawat tweeted.

Last Sunday, Sehrawat wrote to Delhi CM and AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal, alleging corruption by the Punjab unit leaders. Senior leader and Punjab in-charge Sanjay Singh and Durgesh Pathak have filed a defamation case in a Punjab court against Sehrawat.

The letter was only an addition to Sehrawat’s divergent views on party’s decisions. He had spoken against the party leadership when founding members of party, Prashant Bhushan and Yogendra Yadav, were shown the door last year.

Allegations against Sehrawat also include a letter that his father wrote to Kejriwal in which he has accused his son of harassment.

AAP sources said the former army officer has a love and hate relationship with the party. The relationship only got bitter after he lost the 2014 Lok Sabha election from South Delhi. He was the only sitting MLA who was given Lok Sabha ticket in Delhi.

“Many leaders were against fielding him in the 2015 assembly polls. But he got the green signal as most sitting legislators were given party ticket,” a senior party leader said.

His suspension will not affect the AAP’s strength in the house. Expulsion of an elected representative from the parent party allows the individual to function as an ‘independent’, both in and outside the House, as the anti-defection law would not apply on them.

However, even a mere suspension from primary membership would keep them under the ambit of the party’s whip.

Sehrawat is the fourth party legislator whose primary membership has been suspended. The list includes Timarpur legislator Pankaj Pushkar and two sacked ministers--- Asim Ahmed Khan and Sandeep Kumar.