JOIN USThe Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Monday suspended Bijwasan MLA Col Devinder Sehrawat from the party’s primary membership for indiscipline and accusing party leaders of “sexual exploitation” of women ticket seekers in Punjab.
The rebel legislator had also blamed AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal for failure to
discipline “lecherous” colleagues.
Sehrawat wrote a letter to Kejriwal on September 4 in which he named Punjab unit head Sanjay Singh and Delhi AAP convenor Dilip Pandey for exploitation of women. Both the leaders denied Sehrawat’s allegations.
“Repeated Reports of Molestation of women and sexual abuse, Ring Master Kejriwal obliging his lecherous coterie & adding more such candidates,” Sehrawat tweeted on Sunday over a woman singer’s complaint against an AAP candidate in Punjab.
The AAP disciplinary committee on Monday recommended his suspension but this failed to silence Sehrawat.
He adopted an aggressive stand and tweeted: “If you have the courage, severe the ties and expel. With 67 MLAs you could not perform, You don’t have it in you- So Get out of the Way...”
The action against Sehrawat came about nine days after sacked women and child development minister Sandeep Kumar was suspended from the party following a sex CD scandal. Kumar is currently in judicial custody.
Kejri’s tough stand
The action against Sehrawat signals Kejriwal’s toughened stand on indiscipline in the party.
Sehrawat’s letter to Kejriwal dated September 4 stated: “I saw disturbing reports about women being exploited in Punjab in return for or on promise of a ticket. Am meeting people in Chandigarh...Delhi MLAs are unaware about what is being done by (senior party members) in Punjab.”
Sehrawat said: “Now, the situation is getting indefensible and disgraceful. Action needs to be taken to remove rotten elements...Please let the people know that we still believe that we can change politics.”
Sehrawat was expecting action against him from the party and repeatedly issued statements that he was ready to face the consequences.
He stuck to his stand and alleged that AAP leaders used to call for pictures of women.
“I could not have remained a silent observer,” said Sehrawat.
Sehrawat has a history of friction with a certain group of leaders within the AAP. He along with another party MLA, Pankaj Pushkar, revolted at the time when the party removed former colleagues Yogendra Yadav and Prashant Bhushan for “anti-party” activities in March last year.
He, along with Pushkar, had refused to sign a two-page letter in March last year seeking the removal of the two party colleagues.
Pushkar is now actively working with the Swaraj Abhiyan, a political group formed by Yadav and Bhushan, but the AAP has still not taken any visible action against him.
Sources said the party was deliberately refraining from sacking Sehrawat from
the AAP as it would reduce the party strength in the Assembly.
At present, the AAP has 67 MLAs in a 70-member House. If the ruling party sacks a party legislator, he will be entitled to continue his five-year term while sitting as an independent in the Assembly.