Senior AAP leader Ashutosh claimed that Yogendra Yadav, who was ousted from the party’s National Executive today, had asked Arvind Kejriwal for a “graceful exit” from the party after he was allegedly caught tarnishing the party’s image by planting stories in the media.
In an open letter to Yadav, Ashutosh, also said that Kejriwal “forgave” him in an act of magnanimity and no action was initiated.
Various stories started appearing in the newspapers which were tarnishing the image of the party and also that of Arvind. Initially, these were ignored. But, later, a few suspected your (Yadav’s) hand in this. You were confronted, but you denied it every time. Finally, it was decided to catch the lie, and the phone conversation was recorded with a reporter who confessed to your role. You were confronted with proof and you had no answer. In fact, you were ready for disciplinary action, and begged Arvind for a graceful exit
Ashutosh also said that Yadav had ambitions of becoming the Chief Minister of Haryana and was pressuring Kejriwal to put him in-charge of the state.
You belonged to Haryana and had never hidden your interest in long-term politics in the state and may have fancied yourself as the chief minister of the state at some time in the future
Ashutosh’s letter also sought to place the blame for AAP’s debacle in the Haryana elections at Yadav’s door.
Is it not a fact that you (Yadav) were desperate to contest the Assembly elections in Haryana and, when Arvind differed with you, you became bitter? Arvind pleaded with you to fight only a few seats, but he was overruled... I was expecting that one of you would have come out and taken the blame but alas, that was not to be.
The journalist-turned-politician further alleged that Yadav had insisted on a review of the party’s Lok Sabha poll performance when Kejriwal was in jail for a few days last year in connection with a criminal defamation complaint filed against him by BJP leader Nitin Gadkari.
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