The Indian Express (Delhi Edition)
Hit by Anand exit, how AAP is trying to keep flock together
“BE LIKE Sanjay Singh, Manish Sisodia and Satyendar Jain, and not like Raaj Kumar Anand”: This was the Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP) refrain on Wednesday as senior leaders Singh and Saurabh Bharadwaj came forward, asking the party leaders to be “brave, not cowards” in the light of the Patel Nagar MLA announcing his resignation earlier in the day.
According to sources, the resignation sent ripples through the party rank and file, not only because AAP has so far managed to keep its flock in Delhi together, but also because the move was completely unexpected.
“Weonlycametoknowof the resignation when it was announced in the media. Several of our leaders have been implicated in false cases but no one has left. At a time like this, it is worrying. He has been worried for quite some time,” said a senior party leader.
Addressing a press conference, Singh accused the BJP of trying to topple the AAP government in Delhi and said, “After today, the question of why we think that the motive behind ED'S investigation is to break the AAP will stop... We have said earlier also and repeating this again: the reason behind the arrest of Arvind Kejriwal is to topple the AAP...”
Singh said, “It is a test for AAP also...it is a test for every minister and MLA, what do we want to be remembered as – as brave people or cowards...”
The Rajya Sabha MP said AAP'S loyal leaders and workers will not leave the party.
Bharadwaj, who was also present at the conference, asked party leaders to be like Singh, Sisodia and Jain, and “not become like Anand”.
He said, “Look at Sanjay Singh, he was arrested in a false case but he fought, came out of jail and is here with us like a lion... Humein Sanjay Singh, Satyendar Jain aur Manish Sisodia banna hai, par Raaj Kumar Anand nahi banna hai...we have sympathy for him just because he got scared, but we will not become like him.”
Further, the AAP leaders accused the BJP and the ED of “threatening” Anand into leaving the AAP, adding “he will join the BJP in next couple of days”.