Prashant Bhushan was one of the four leaders who were voted out of the AAP’s National Executive at a the party’s National Council meeting on Saturday. Bhushan, who had raised questions on the party’s functioning and was voted out of the Political Affairs Committee as well, has alleged that hooliganism and goondagardi was rampant in the Council.
How much has this controversy hurt you?
It has hurt me personally. People whom I worked with closely and whom I had supported have descended to such levels — they have resorted to blatant lies, fabrications, used unethical and illegal means and even resorted to hooliganism and goondaism. It’s very unsettling… For instance, when the ruckus started during Arvind’s speech, his MLAs shouted “gaddaron ko phek do, phek do (throw out the traitors)” . They rushed towards my father because Arvind’s speech was partly aimed at him. My father says he felt the same way he he did when dacoits attacked him once and broke his rib. At that time he didn’t know if he would come out alive or not. He felt the same way that day. So what kind of MLAs and people have we bred? What kind of culture have we bred? All this happened on the instructions and full encouragement of Arvind. He instigated those people. The manner in which they removed Anand Kumar, Ajit Jha, Yogendra Yadav and me and the Lokpal himself… is like a Stalinist purge. Now all these MLAs who dissented are being targeted.
They say that your sister and father both held posts, something the party disallows. What do you have to say to this?
Two members of a family can’t hold two executive posts. My father was not holding any such post and neither was my sister. She was not in any decision-making capacity in the party. Those raising this issue are the same people vociferously saying that Arvind should continue to hold the post of Chief Minister as well as National Convenor. The same people who clamoured for a Lokpal, whose selection must not be left for the government, are today saying they will themselves appoint a Lokpal. This, despite our party constitution stating that the outgoing members of the Lokpal will appoint their successors. When he (Admiral Ramdas) become inconvenient they tell him not to come, and then they remove him because he has been receiving complaints about the conduct of the meeting itself. Then they proceed to appoint his successor without consulting him.
At the National Council, Kumar Vishwas spoke about the difference between the elite and the grassroot worker. He had said Naveen Jaihind was a leader because “wo danda khaata hai”…
Certainly not. But if he means lumpenism, then certainly it is a battle between civilised behaviour and lumpenism. If he feels that lumpenism can be justified by saying continued…
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