Bhushan, Khetan sparring match takes ugly turn
22 April 2015 12:11 AM GMT
Bhushan on Tuesday launched a scathing attack on Aam Aadmi Party and said it has become
‘Khap Panchayat’.
He also called Delhi chief minister a ‘dictator’. While AAP leader Ashish Khetan who was charged on Tuesday of being on the payroll of Essar group, launched counter at the senior Supreme Court lawyer, questioning the source of his wealth and calling the filing of Public Interest Litigations an industry.
In another development, The AAP leadership replaced Patiala MP Dharamvir Gandhi as the leader of its parliamentary party with comedian-turned-MP Bhagwant Mann. Gandhi had objected to the treatment meted out to the dissident leaders. He had spoken against expulsion of Yadav and Bhushan from the National Executive.
“AAP has become a ‘Khap Panchayat’, there is a ‘dictator’, and everybody follows him,” said Bhushan. He also hit out at Pankaj Gupta and Ashish Khetan for acting like judges. “It is against natural justice for the complainants (Pankaj Gupta, Ashish Khetan) to become the judges, especially as there are serious charges against both of them,” he said.
“In our reply we had mentioned that whatever we had done we did to save the party, to save its spirit. Finally, after our expulsion, all this AAP drama has ended,” he added. Another expelled AAP leader Yogendra Yadav said such a move would only strengthen his and others resolve to move forward. He also said that the expulsion has given him some sense of peace.
Yadav also lashed out at Pankaj Gupta and Ashish Khetan for becoming the judges as on the first hand they were the complainants. On Monday, both the founding leaders were expelled from the party. Besides, Ajit Jha and Anand Kumar were also removed from the party.
“The Bhushan family has over Rs.500 crore worth property. I want to know whether this has been earned through PILs. If this is the case, then filing PIL is a big industry,” said Khetan. Senior party leader Ashustosh, while strongly defending Khetan, said the two leaders spoke about procedures and institutions, but never had respect for them.
“They have disregarded every institution in the party. They insulted the Political Affairs Committee, National Executive. Now they are disregarding the disciplinary committee and its members,” said Ashustosh.
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