Ashutosh quits AAP updates: Former party member calls it a 'day of independence' for ex-journalist

Saurabh Bharadwaj says Ashutosh has been asked to reconsider decision 

​AAP’s Delhi unit spokesperson Saurabh Bhardwaj said Ashutosh’s resignation has not been accepted yet and he has been asked to reconsider it, PTI reported.

Ashutosh had a run-in with media when he defended sacked Delhi minister Sandeep Kumar over his sex tape

He had hit out at the media , saying it was indulging in “vulturisation” and “doing embedded journalism”. In a series of tweets, the AAP leader lashed out at his critics and said that such a atmosphere was created where critical analysis of history was not being allowed.

AAP’s Rajya Sabha MP Sushil Gupta urges Ashutosh to come back to party

“I have high regards and respect for Ashutosh Ji, his contribution in Delhi election victory and strengthening of the AAP across the nation are unmatchable. I appeal to him to rethink his decision and come back to the party,” AAP’s Rajya Sabha MP Sushil Gupta said.

Arvind Kejriwal says everyone in AAP loves Ashutosh

Kejriwal retweeted AAP’s national media coordinator’s tweet showing him and Ashutosh hugging. 

No official communication wa sent regarding Ashutosh’s resignation, say AAP members

Dilip Pandey, who was co-convenor of the Delhi Unit along with Ashutosh in 2015, said that he didn’t know that he has resigned. Many AAP members were at various flag hoisting events in the capital and some said that they found out about the news only through Twitter. There seems to have been no official communication within the party regarding Ashutosh’s resignation.

Party chief Arvind Kejriwal refuses to accept Ashutosh’s resignation

Arvind Kejriwal has tweeted to convey that he is not going to accept Ashutosh’s resignation from the party. “How can we accept your resignation?” “Not in this lifetime,” he wrote.

Kumar Vishwas tweets to lament Ashutosh’s departure, calls it a sacrifice

Former AAP member Kumar Vishwas hit out at the AAP leadership for letting go of another ‘honest and committed member’. 

Ashutosh had once created controversy by crying on national television

During a television debate on Headlines Today, Ashutosh broke down as he spoke about the death of Gajendra Singh, a farmer from Rajasthan who had committed suicide in the middle of an AAP rally. Ashutosh, during the course of the debate, became highly emotional and pleaded that leaders must not play politics over the issue. The debate was also attended by BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra and Gajendra Singh’s daughter. Addressing Singh’s daughter, Ashutosh said that even though he was present at the event, he could not save her father and started crying profusely in front of the cameras, The Indian Express reported .

His this act was dubbed as a ‘mere act of gimmickry’ by the Opposition.

AAP leader Sanjay Singh says party will request Ashutosh to reconsider his decision 

Sanjay said that Ashutosh is a good friend of his and his decision to leave the party is a heart-breaking moment for him. He said that the party will try to persuade him to take his resignation back. 

Former founding member Yogendra Yadav dubs Ashutosh’s exit as ‘routine affair for any regional party’

Swaraj India national president and former founding member of AAP, Yogendra Yadav told Firstpost, “I have no idea at all why Ashutosh has quit AAP. I saw it on TV news. When the four of us — Prashant Bhushan, Prof Anand Kumar, Prof Ajit Jha and I left AAP, the party was at the Pinnacle of power. Our disagreement with AAP leadership was related to principles. Prashantji and I had asked for internal Lokpal, internal democracy, federalism and a financial probe. The moral project called Aam Aadmi Party to which millions of people subscribed, died three years ago. Now it is just another regional political party. I think any entry or exit in AAP is just a routine affair as with any other party.”

AAP member Raksesh Sinha says former journalists’ ideology matches with the party but financial strain could have led to exit

“I know Ashutosh since we were classmates in 1986. During the Mandal commission agitations, he dropped his surname. Ashutosh has spent years reading and writing and has an independent mind and his ideologies will always make him lean towards the AAP. Personally, I am sad that he is leaving and would urge him to reconsider his decision. I know his political ideals and his struggle for democratic civil society will go on all his life. The party was a vehicle that took him closer to his goals. I knew something was brewing in his mind for sometime. The financial strain that comes from being a part of a political movement is a a reality, but not just for him. When I was in service (DIG, CISF), I, too, was financially far more secure. But in Ashutosh’s case, he probably thought he’s better off being independent at this stage,” Rakesh Sinha, special advisor to Arvind Kejriwal and Uttarakhand prabhari of AAP told Firstpost.

Ashutosh left to find other promising avenues after being denied Rajya Sabha berth: Sources

There were reports of AAP prabharis being given Lok Sabha tickets and the fact that Ashutosh was not made a prabhari or given a Rajya Sabha ticket, may have forced him to find other promising avenues. AAP sources, who wish to remain anonymous, say that they feel upset that a strong liberal voice has left the civil society political movement.

Opposition members grill Kejriwal over Ashutosh’s resignation

BJP member Khemchand Sharma, who is also the ex-convenor of BJP’s Samvadcell in Delhi, tweeted that finally Ashutosh can claim to be free from Arvind Kejriwal’s political reach. 

Ashutosh stood for individualism amidst collectivism, had supported minister sacked over sex tape

Ashutosh stood for individualism amidst collectivism, this came out especially when former AAP member Sandeep Kumar was caught in a sex tape controversy and Arvind Kejriwal took an immediate moral stand and sacked him. It was Ashutosh who stood up to protect Kumar, stating that private and public life are separate and that there isn’t any criminality in the act. Ashutosh had written a blog post condemning the sacking of the SC/ST minister over a consensual private act.

Ashutosh was a strong anti-caste, liberal voice in AAP; had advised the party to contest in Goa

In 2014, Ashutosh contested from the Chandni Chowk Lok Sabha constituency for AAP. He came in third. Then in July 2014, he was made the Delhi convener. The co-conveners were Durgesh Pathak and Dilip Pandey. It was Ashutosh’s strong view that AAP should contest in Goa. The two others leading the party in Goa were Pankaj Gupta, who now has been made the Chandni Chowk Lok Sabha prabhari and Rakesh Sinha, CISF DG and former advisor to chief minister Arvind Kejriwal. Sinha was Ashutosh’s batch-mate from JNU and both have been strong anti-caste and liberal voices within the party.

AAP leader Gopal Rai says Ashutosh’s decision is his own, but we will talk to him

Gopal Rai tweeted after Ashutosh announced his decision to quit the party, saying that the party will talk to him over his move.

Social media reactions pour in over Ashutosh’s resignation

As AAP leader Ashutosh announced his decision to quit the party, Twitterati flung in meme mode to comment on this big political development. 

Ashutosh may join back media, sees no future of AAP in upcoming elections: Sources

Ashutosh may join print media and that’s why he has decided to quit the Aam Aadmi Party. He sees no future of AAP in Lok Sabha elections so he is planning to join back the media, AAP sources have told Firstpost on condition of anonymity

‘All self-respecting leaders leaving party except sycophants as Kejriwal is autocratic’, says Prashant Bhushan

Ashutosh was marginalised as he was not given a Rajya Sabha seat. It shows the autocratic style of functioning of Arvind Kejriwal. Every self respecting individual is leaving the party except sycophants, former senior AAP leader Prashant Bhushan told Firstpost.

Ashutosh was unhappy after not being considered for Rajya Sabha, say sources

Sources told Firstpost there won’t be a press conference. However, other sources in AAP felt that Ashutosh might have upset because the party did not consider him for a Rajya Sabha ticket. AAP approached several people, including, Prashant Bhushan and Raghuram Rajan and former Supreme Court judges. The other reason as stated by him in the tweet, was personal issues. Sources confirmed that the former journalist was most likely facing acute monetary issues which strained his personal life. Sources at AAP said that Ashutosh wants to keep his portfolio open for 2019, maybe come back to the media till then.

Another big exit for AAP after Prashant Bhushan, Yogendra Yadav and Kumar Vishwas

Ashutosh’s resignation comes close on the heels of the Kumar Vishwa’s decision to leave the party. Vishwas, had quit the party in January 2018 by saying that he was being “punished for speaking the truth”. Before Vishwas, senior founding members Prashant Bhushan and Yogendra Yadav too were expelled from the party. Another big minister Kapil Mishra was recently shown the door after his public rift with party head and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal.

Ashutosh had joined party in 2014, lost election to Dr Harshvardhan

Ashutosh is a former journalist, who had joined the Aam Aadmi Party in 2014. He contested the general elections from Chandni Chowk constituency in Delhi but had lost to BJP’s Dr Harshvardhan.

Ashutosh was upset over not being nominated to Rajya Sabha, say reports

Reportedly, Ashutosh may have taken this desicion due to a rift in the party leadership over the Rajya Sabha nominations done by chief Arvind Kejriwal earlier in 2018. Kejriwal had nominated the names Sushil Gupta, Narayan Das Gupta and Sanjay Singh for the party’s Rajya Sabha seats, which might have upset other senior leaders including Ashutosh, CNN News18 reported.

AAP PAC hasn’t yet accepted Ashutosh’s resignation

The Political Affairs Committee (PAC) of Aam Aadmi Party is yet to accept Ashutosh’s resignation, CNN News18 reported.

There has been a spate of exits from the Aam Aadmi Party recently

Many senior leaders including founder member Kumar Vishwas have quit the party. Vishwas was in fact quite vocal about his dissent with party chief Arvind Kejriwal.

Ashutosh refuses to talk to media, requests privacy over decision

Ashutosh has requested the media to not ask him queries over his resignation as he has decided to not give any bytes to the media. 

Senior AAP leader Ashutosh quits party

Aam Aadmi Party leader Ashutosh has quit the party citing “very, very personal” reasons.