Show cause notice: When Prashant Bhushan levelled serious charges against AAP leaders

New Delhi, April 20: The Aam Aadmi party's dissident leader Prashant Bhushan on Monday refuted all charges levelled against him by party leadership.

In a stinging reply to show cause notice, Bhushan raised several questions over the way he has been removed from various party post. Slamming party leadership, Bhushan also questioned constitution of national disciplinary committee.

"I am not aware who constituted this committee and when and how this was done", Bhushan said.

The rebels leader has also raised an objection to the presence of Ashish Khaitan and Pankaj Gupta's presence in the committee.

"It's remarkable and ironic that you (Pankaj Gupta) along with Ashish Khetan and Dinesh Vaghela aave sent this notice to us, styling yourself as the 'National Disciplinary Committee', AAP leader said.

In a letter to Pankaj Gupta, Bhushan reportedly termed National Council meeting where he along with Yogendra Yadav were removed from PAC 'illegal' and 'unconstitutional'.

"When you remove NE (National Executive) member or even a Lokpal for merely questioning the illegal and unjustifiable actions of the convener or those who are in control of the party, when you label any dissenter as traitor and charge him with anti-party activities, when you instil fear among the members of the party for merely questioning the party moving away from its founding principles, it does remind one of a Stalinist purge," stated Bhushan in his reply to the show cause notice of the party.

'paid news'

The dissident leaders criticised both the leaders of disciplinary committee-Pankaj Gupta and Ashish Khetan for tainted past. According to India Today report, Bhusha alleged Pankaj Gupta of accepting donations from dubious companies. Slamming another member Ashish Khetan, rebel leader said that he did 'paid news' story, favouring a company.

Lashing out at these leaders, Bhushan said, "You also know that there have been serious charges against you yourself, which should have been referred to the National Lokpal, Admiral Ramdas. These included the acceptance of donations of Rs.2 Crores from shell companies, without taking the approval of the PAC as required by the party's rules, as well as of stalling and not executing the decisions of the National Disciplinary Committee which I was heading and of which you were a member".

Earlier on Friday, a show cause notice was issued to Prashant Bhushan and Yogendra Yadav for alleged anti-party activities . They were told to reply within two days over the notice.

Reacting sharply over the notice, Yadav on Saturday had termed it a joke. He further alleged that contents of the show cause notice were leaked even before he had received it.

The bitter infighting in AAP that had come to fore after the Assembly polls saw expulsion of founding member Bhushan and party ideologue Yadav from its top decision-making bodies.

OneIndia News