Yadav, Prashant may be expelled before April 14

The Aam Aadmi Party has fastracked the process to expel rebel leaders Prashant Bhushan and Yogendra Yadav. Party sources said that the duo is likely be expelled before April 14, when the rebel camp plans to hold a national dialogue with its supporters for the party’s “course correction.” An AAP spokesperson said that the party will take disciplinary action against those who attend the conclave, called Swaraj Samvad, organised by the dissident camp.

The sources said that the AAP leadership has been holding consultations with its national disciplinary committee to finalise details on basis of which the two founder members can be expelled. The party had recently dropped Mr Bhushan as the head of its disciplinary panel and Mr Yadav as its chief spokesperson. The AAP has already removed Mr Yadav and Mr Bhushan from its key decision- making committees — political affairs committee and national executive on charges of conspiring to dethrone party chief Arvind Kejriwal from the post of national convenor and indulging in anti- party activities. The AAP leadership is expected to take action against Mr Bhushan and Mr Yadav on the basis of the same charges to suspend their primary membership. The AAP has been on a “purging spree” to get rid of the members supporting the dissident leaders.

The rebel camp, however, asserted that it would not be easy for the party’s top rung to remove Mr Yadav and Mr Bhushan from the AAP as they would not be able to “sell the idea” to the people.

“I have been told by a newly - appointed spokesperson of my party that anyone attending the Swaraj Samvad will be subjected to disciplinary action by the AAP. It makes me astonished as it is the beginning of end of freedom of volunteers. What is so fearful about Swaraj Samvad? Are dialogues and debating a dangerous thing for AAP volunteers? Please avoid being dictatorial and trust the mind power and force of truth. Let our minds be without fear of freedom, as taught by Gurudev Tagore,” Prof. Anand Kumar posted on a social networking site.

Prof. Kumar, who was recently expelled from the party’s national executive along with Mr Yadav, Mr Bhushan and Prof. Ajit Jha, told this newspaper that they will be holding Swaraj Samvad on Ambedkar Jayanti to address two questions — where did the AAP go wrong in organisation- building and what has to be done to make democracy more meaningful for the party and the people.

“We expect a turnout of around 1,000 members in the Samvad which will hold discussions on democratic behaviour and the pitfalls of the paranoid, megalomaniac cult that has taken control over the party recently,” Prof. Kumar added.