AAP suspends 2 for supporting Bhushan, Yadav

The party sent suspension notices to Rakesh Sinha and Vishal Sharma Lathe, from Uttar Pradesh, who had attended the press conference addressed by dissident leaders Prashant Bhushan and Yogendra Yadav

Continuing its spree of muzzling voices of dissent, the Aam Aadmi Party on Thursday suspended two national executive members from the party for openly siding with the rebel camp. The party sent suspension notices to Rakesh Sinha and Vishal Sharma Lathe, from Uttar Pradesh, who had attended the press conference addressed by dissident leaders Prashant Bhushan and Yogendra Yadav after their expulsion from the national executive on March 28. The spate of sackings in the party has come after the AAP’s national council gave full powers to the political affairs committee to take action against any member indulging in “anti- party” activities.

Mr Sinha and Mr Lathe condemned the AAP leadership for coming down harshly on the rebel leaders without providing them an opportunity to explain their stand.

Both Mr Sinha and Mr Lathe were present in the party’s national council meet on March 28 during which Mr Bhushan and Mr Yadav were booted out of the national executive. Speaking to this newspaper, Mr Lathe repeated the charges of hooliganism levelled on the party by the Yadav- Bhushan duo in the national council meet. “A total goondaism prevailed the meet,” Mr Lathe alleged. He added that he was one of the members to walk out of the March 28 meet along with Mr Bhushan and Mr Yadav after they realised that they were not being given a chance to speak. “The party issued me a suspension notice on Wednesday, even before issuing me a showcause notice and referring the charges to the party’s lokpal. In response, I have written a letter to the party’s secretary Pankaj Gupta, saying that as an active member of the national executive, it is unconstitutional to serve me a suspension notice without issuing me a showcause notice and not providing me an opportunity to explain my position. Even the charges should have been referred to the party’s lokpal,” Mr Lathe said. “Based on the complaint received by the national disciplinary committee, and the discussion on it by the members of national executive, it has decided to suspend your primary membership pending disciplinary proceedings,” an email from Mr Gupta to Mr Lathe said.