Live: Ilmi quits AAP, Yogendra Yadav says she will be missed

2.30 pm: Yogendra Yadav reacts to Shazia’s decision AAP’s leader Yogendra Yadav has reacted to Shazia’s decision and said that the questions raised “have been heard by us with open ears.” He also said that, “It is sad that Shazia Ilmi has quit. Her absence will be felt by all of us. We hope she returns home,” adding that the party had requested her not to quit while Kejriwal is in jail. 1.50 pm: Shazia Ilmi resigned from party, blaming ‘cronyism’ in the political party “There is a clique of people who have surrounded Arvind Kejriwal and are controlling all the decisions. Even I can’t go and meet him, so then think of party volunteers. There is no internal democracy in the party and this is sad in a party that claims to stand for Swaraj,” she said. [caption id=“attachment_1540667” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Shazia Ilmi at the press conference. Naresh Sharma/Firstpost [/caption] The former journalist however, refused to name the people who make up this clique. Ilmi said that her decision had nothing to do with her being forced to contest from Ghaziabad in the recently concluded general election and said that she even thought about resigning during the election campaign. “Arvind has constantly shot down the messenger. I have been systematically marginalised for raising a voice of dissent. I’m no longer part of the decision making process. Arvind should not be in jail but with party cadres,” Ilmi said. “I have been raising my voice against party decisions from 5-6 months now,” she said. However she hasn’t closed the door on the party completely and said that if the party gives her a more relevant role, she could consider coming back. 1.30 pm: Captain Gopinath, also resigns from AAP Former head of low cost airline, Deccan Airlines, Captain Gopinath, also resigned from AAP. Gopinath was one of the high-profile names from the corporate world to join AAP during it’s rise. Explaining his resignation, Gopinath told CNN-IBN that he had differences with how the party had functioned, and that it was Arvind Kejriwal’s decision to not furnish a bail bond in the defamation case filed against him by Nitin Gadkari, that sealed his decision. “I had increasing differences with the AAP and today was the last straw by not giving bond was not proper for me to continue and at the same time criticise the party,” Gopinath said.