Bigger role for Vishwas, Khan faces suspension

New Delhi: In a move to placate its senior leader Kumar Vishwas, the AAP on Wednesday suspended its Okhla MLA Amanatullah Khan and set up a disciplinary committee to probe his statements against the poet-politician, who has been critical of AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal.

Earlier on Sunday, Mr Khan had sent out WhatsApp messages alleging that Mr Vishwas met AAP MLAs and ministers in a bid to takeover the party. After resigning from a key party post, he had even accused Mr Vishwas of being an “RSS-BJP agent”. In the political circles, Mr Khan’s suspension is seen as a compromise after Mr Vishwas addressed the media, teary-eyed, and threatened to quit the party.

The AAP has also set up a disciplinary committee to probe the allegations against Mr Khan. Deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia said the party’s political affairs committee (PAC) has formed a three-member committee comprising the AAP national secretary Pankaj Gupta and senior party leaders Ashutosh and Atishi Marlena.

Mr Khan said he is willing to present his case before the three-member panel. In the party’s PAC meeting, which lasted for nearly three hours at Delhi chief minister Mr Kejriwal’s residence, a decision was made to entrust Mr Vishwas with the responsibility of Rajasthan which goes to polls by the end of 2018.

The move comes after Mr Vishwas demanded stern action against the AAP MLA who had accused him of plotting a coup in the party, sources said. The Okhla legislator had on Monday resigned from the PAC.

As the PAC meeting was at Mr Kejriwal’s Civil Lines residence on Wednesday, the mood outside was tense as volunteers gathered in a hope that differences between Mr Vishwas and Mr Khan will be sorted. A majority of them backed Mr Vish-was, who has amassed a massive fan following among AAP volunteers. As the poet-politician emerged outside Mr Kejr-iwal’s residence, there was a loud cheer for him.

“I stand by my party and all the people who’ve supported me... There should be zero tolerance against corruption,” Mr Vishwas said after coming out of the meeting.

Later in the day, Delhi Assembly speaker Ram Niwas Goel accused the BJP of spreading “rumo-urs” that he was quitting the AAP to join the saffron party. At a press conference on the Assembly premises here, he asserted that he will continue to be with the AAP.

But not to the AAP’s liking, Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari termed Mr Vishwas as a “nationalist”. Delhi is facing a problem due to infighting in the ruling party, he said.

“Till the time the string keeps the broom (AAP’s election symbol) intact, it can be used to clean garbage. But if the thread breaks, the broom itself will be reduced to garbage,” AAP MLA Bhavna Gaur said.

On Tuesday, Mr Vishwas had said that he is unwilling to apologise for his video titled “We the Nation” in which he apparently hinted at corruption within the AAP-led Delhi government.