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After being ousted from all key panels in the party, AAP leaders Prashant Bhushan and Yogendra Yadav, are set to hold a meeting with supporters at a meeting called ‘Swaraj Samvad’ where they will be debating their future course of action. Yadav has been travelling across the country talking to AAP volunteers about the meeting and why they are holding it. He’s been in Chandigarh, Maharashtra and other cities trying to muster support and to get volunteers to attend the meet. The meet to be held in Gurgaon is expected to be attended by the supporters of the two leaders who have been disappointed with the manner in which the party has handled the entire issue. [caption id=“attachment_2195435” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]
PTI image[/caption] The dialogue aims to chart a new path for alternative politics in sync with the spirit of
Anna Hazare
’s anti-corruption movement. The idea sounds lofty, but real purpose, say people close to the Bhushan-Yadav duo, is to lay groundwork for the eventual formation of a new outfit. Sources close to Yadav and Bhushan have said that they will not announce floating of a new party on Tuesday , but will raise issues of inner-party democracy and transparency in the organisation at the event. Yadav said they have received tremendous response from the volunteers across the country and this has compelled them to change the venue. “We have given an open invitation to everyone about this. We have got an overwhelming response for the event and this has forced us to change the venue. From different corners of country, volunteers and supporters will be attending the event. Some special guests will also attend the meeting,” he said. Taking a jibe at the rival camp, Yadav said that the whole event will be transparent, media will be allowed and even carrying of pens and mobile phones will be permitted. In the National Council meeting, which expelled the duo from the National Executive, media was not allowed neither were volunteers allowed to carry mobile phones and pens. “Swaraj, which we think, has the possibility of changing the politics should also be there in our programme. All volunteers will be allowed to ventilate their greviances and decisions will be subjected to voting. “The dialouge process will put to rest all the confusion and we will be able to take some decision by the end of the convention,” Yadav said. Incidentally, AAP has warned of action against those planning to attend the meeting. Senior party leader Sanjay Singh said AAP’s all-powerful Political Affairs Committee (PAC) and its National Executive (NE) would decide the next move in this regard after the meeting. “Swaraj Samvad is not a party function. The PAC and NE will decide on what action needs to be taken after the meeting,” Singh told reporters Responding to the warning, Yadav said he was still a member of the party and he had not received any kind of warning. “You are talking about the party leadership. The party leadership is not just the Aam Aadmi Party. We have not received any formal instruction from the party,” Yadav said. “The agenda for tomorrow’s meeting will be plight and direction of the alternate politics. We will also discuss on what should the direction be,” he said. The party said the entire convention will be streamed online. Anand Kumar, another AAP leader who was expelled from the National Executive last month along with Ajit Jha, said they had intended to call the meeting after 2013 Delhi Assembly polls, but it got postponed due to various reasons. AAP’s Timarpur MLA Pankaj Pushkar, tribal activist Soni Sori and rights activist Aruna Roy are expected to attend the event. The Yadav and Bhushan camp has also said that over 100 candidates who had contested on AAP ticket in the Lok Sabha polls will attend the event. However, the frontline leaders of Aam Aadmi Party from Maharashtra have decided to stay away from the event despite a meeting with Yadav last week. Loyalists of Yadav and Bhushan, however, have claimed that almost 200 volunteers and some leaders from here would attend the meeting to express their “solidarity” with the duo. Mayank Gandhi, AAP’s national executive member in Maharashtra, is not attending the ‘Swaraj Samvad’ (open dialogue), sources said. Leaders from neighbouring states are also likely to skip the meet as of now as a precautionary measure. with PTI inputs
Live: Yogendra Yadav to meet supporters; AAP PAC to take decision on party rebels today
We track the updates from the Swaraj Samvad being held by rebel AAP leaders Yogendra Yadav and Prashant Bhushan today.
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Hope AAP leadership reads party constitution before taking decision, says Yadav
Yogendra Yadav said that the final plan of action for the party rebels will be prepared today and slammed the AAP for calling the Swaraj Samvad meet illegal.
“They are absolutely correct to say that Swaraj Samvad was not organised by AAP, but that does not make it illegal and anti-party,” Yadav said. “It is the party’s leadership’s prerogative to take a decision. But I believe that they will first read AAP’s constitution before taking actions,” he added.
Yadav to meet supporters
Yogendra Yadav is set to meet his supporters to decide on the future course of action, according to reports.
AAP PAC to decide on Yadav, Bhushan today
The Political Affairs Committee (PAC) of AAP will meet today amidst indications of strong action against dissident leaders Prashant Bhushan and Yogendra Yadav.
The panel is expected to refer the case of Yadav and Bhushan to the disciplinary committee of the party’s Delhi unit. – PTI
Yadav, Bhushan form non-political group ‘Swaraj Abhiyan’
Rebel AAP faction led by Yogendra Yadav and Prashant Bhushan on Tuesday stopped short of splitting the party by floating a new group and deciding to take a call on launching a new political outfit after six months.
After an eight-hour-long meeting of supporters from various states, a resolution was passed to set up the new group – Swaraj Abhiyan – which will try to establish the concept of “swaraj” and work for strengthening “alternative politics”.
Voting was conducted among the volunteers to decide about the future course of action in which around 69 percent of those present opposed leaving AAP and forming a new party.
Only 25 percent of those who voted favoured forming a new party while a mere 1 percent said they trusted the AAP leadership, according to the dissident camp. The group said it will undertake a country-wide campaign to muster support. – PTI
Have heard that we have been thrown out of AAP, says Prashant Bhushan
Taking on the AAP leadership for removing party Lokpal Admiral Ramdas without allegedly following due procedure, Prashant Bhushan on Tuesday said that AAP has failed to behave responsibly.
“Isn’t it written in the party constitution that the outgoing Lokpal will help in the selection of next Lokpal? What happened to that?” Bhushan said while addressing his followers. “We demanded that Lokpal should be made in each state with final decisions taken by national Lokpal, but the party leadership denied it,” he said.
“There is no doubt that Kejriwal had put in lot of efforts to form the party. But along with him, lakhs of volunteers also had put in their hard work. Now, he has completely wrested control of the party,” Bhushan said. “I have even heard that we are now thrown out of the party for organising this Samvad. Wasn’t it decided that the volunteers would have their say before any decision is taken? What happened to that?”
Large section of Maharashtra AAP supports Yogendra Yadav, say sources
A large section of Maharashtra AAP has decided to support Yogendra Yadav in any move, sources told Firstpost. Around 300 party leaders and workers from Maharashtra registered to attend the meet on 14 April.
“It’s worrisome to see that over 300 people have registered from Maharashtra for the meet. It clearly shows that all is not well in the Maharashtra unit of party as was claimed earlier by the party leaders. It’s straight divide in Maharashtra unit, which has backed Yadav wholeheartedly,” said a senior AAP leader.
Sources in Maharashtra AAP told Firstpost that leaders like Maruti Bhapkar, Manav Kamble, Ibrahim Shaikh, Sanjeev Sane, Lalit Babar, Shakil Ahmed, Alim Patel and others senior leaders will support Yadav in any move taken by him.
However, another party leader said that many party leaders and workers have not taken their stand yet and are still considering various options. “The Maharashtra unit of party tried its best to keep it united. But it seems that the party workers and leaders who support Yadav are not convinced. Now, they will take a call in next couple of days after Tuesday’s meeting. The removal of Yadav and Bhushan from key party posts has not gone down well within the party,” he said.
Why is AAP scared of dialogue, asks Yadav
After asking volunteers present to vote on the future course of action which should be taken by those at the Swaraj Samvad, Yogendra Yadav said that a certain section of volunteers wanted them to form another party.
“One opinion is that everything is fine with party leadership and we should trust them,” he said. “Another opinion is that we should struggle or should form another party.”
Yadav also said that the leaders and volunteers present at the meet should have a conclusion ready by 6 pm.
“We are asking for people’s opinions,” he said. “Everything will take place in front of you. We should come to a conclusion by 6 pm in the evening,” he added.
On AAP saying the meeting was not an authorised meeting, Yadav said, “I’m surprised that a party which was based on principles of democracy is scared of dialogue. Why is the party so afraid of an open dialogue?”
One man’s dictatorship will not work, says Shanti Bhushan
Shanti Bhushan took a dig at Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and said that one person’s dictatorship will not work in achieving the objectives the AAP had started out with.
“When we formed the AAP, we had accepted the challenge to form a new party and revolutionise the politics of India,” Shanti Bhushan said. “We had started out with the objective of bringing transparency and values in politics,” he said.
“But one person’s dictatorship cannot work in achieving all this. All opinions need to be heard. The strength of democracy depends on this,” he said. “During the Lok Sabha elections, over 1 crore people were connected with the party because they had a dream of change. We cannot crush that dream.”
Shanti Bhushan also said the Minimum Support Price given to farmers should be increased and the bungalows in Lutyens, Delhi needed to be converted to schools and hospitals.
AAP’s stand on Swaraj Samvad is a Tughlaqi farmaan, says Shazia Ilmi
Former AAP leader Shazia Ilmi said that the AAP saying it has nothing to do with the Swaraj Samvad is a ’tughlaqi farmaan'.
“On one side, Swaraj Samvad is going on. On the other hand, AAP has declared a ‘Tughlaqi farmaan’,” said the BJP leader. “This tughlaqi farmaan says that party has nothing got to do with today’s meeting and this event will be considered an anti-party activity,” she said.
“The farmaan by AAP says disciplinary action will be taken against anybody who’s seen there, trying to sabotage it in every possible way,” Ilmi said. She added that people had the right to hear what Yogendra Yadav and Prashant Bhushan had to say.
In true democracy, there is no fear in ‘samvad’, says Admiral Ramdas
Former AAP Lokpal Admiral Ramdas, in a statement, said that AAP had “miserably failed as a party which was formed on the principles of swaraj.”
“I am very sad about what has happened within the party in the last few days. Even I don’t know why I was thrown out of the party,” he said. Ramdas also said that in true democracy, there is no fear in ‘samvad’ (discussion). “It is not right to make allegations against one another,” he said.
AAP leader Dharamvir Gandhi also released a letter in which he said that he had come to the party to support the right principles, not some politicians. “We were trying to protect the values of the party. For this, we were called traitors,” he said.
Need to save AAP, says Yogendra Yadav
Yogendra Yadav said that AAP needed to return to its roots as it was important for the party to rise above the recent differences and unite.
“We will have to make a great effort to save the dream of those people for whom the AAP was a fresh change,” Yadav said.
Swaraj Samvad a dialogue on alternative politics, says Yadav
Yogendra Yadav said that the Swaraj Samvad meeting was a dialogue on alternative politics and reiterated that the entire meeting will unfold in front of the eyes of the media. “It’s a dialogue on alternative politics. It’s a special day. It’s Ambedkar Jayanti. It’s a day to remember some of the fundamental principles of democracy. It is also New Year’s day for some people. It is a day for new beginnings,” he said.
“The entire process will unfold in front of your eyes,” Yadav said. On some AAP leaders saying that this meeting was not an authorised meeting since the party had never called for such a meet, Yadav said, “AAP constitution gives an ordinary member of the party freedom of expression. I’m not sure if AAP has changed its constitution.”
Yadav also said that he was not interested in the number of MLAs attending the meet.
Yogendra Yadav has arrived at the venue for the Swaraj Samvad meet.
AAP to keep a close watch on Swaraj Samvad meet, says Ashutosh
AAP leader Ashutosh also said that AAP will keep a close watch on the activities in the Swaraj Samvad meet. “This is not an authorised meeting. The party is focusing and working on Delhi’s issues,” he said. “We will keep an eye on what happens in the meeting. What is the guarantee that anti-party activities will not take place at the meeting?”
Swaraj Samvad sending out wrong message to nation, says AAP’s Sanjay Singh
“The Swaraj samvad programme that is being organised is not an authorised event of AAP,” said AAP leader Sanjay Singh. “The way the preparations are going on clearly indicates that instead of raising an anti-party voice within the party, they are setting up an open stage and sending out a wrong message to the nation about the party,” he said.
Singh also said that AAP was monitoring the activities related to the programme and the party leadership will see what is discussed in the meet.
Another roadblock for Swaraj Samvad, AVAM decides to stay away from meet
It’s not just AAP leaders giving the meet a miss. Even dissident group AVAM has decided to stay away from the event.
“We did not get any offer from Yogendra Yadav to join them nor are we joining hands with Swaraj Samvad. AVAM doesn’t support the concept of forming another new party because we formed AAP, but it has turned into just another political party devoid of its fundamental principles,” said Karan Singh, the founder of AVAM, a splinter group of the AAP.
Read the entire report hereHundreds expected to turn up but not leaders from many states after AAP warning
Frontline leaders of Aam Aadmi Party from Maharashtra have decided to stay away from the ‘Swaraj Samvad’. Loyalists of Yadav and Bhushan, however, have claimed that almost 200 volunteers and some leaders from here would attend the meeting to express their “solidarity” with the duo.
Mayank Gandhi, AAP’s national executive member in Maharashtra, won’t be there and others like Subhash Ware (party’s state unit convenor) and Ravi Srivastava (state executive member) have also decided to adopt a “wait and watch” approach, a senior state leader said.
However, Maruti Bhapkar and Manav Kamble (both state executive members) along with volunteers from Nagpur, Marathwada, Kolhapur, Nashik would attend the meeting.
Leaders from neighbouring states are also likely to skip the meet as of now as a precautionary measure.
Christina Samy, a former national executive member from Tamil Nadu, said she would not be attending the meet as she is recuperating after a surgery but said she was in search of bringing back ‘Swaraj’ and transparency in the party and that she was with Yadav and Bhushan.