India
Ashutosh's resignation has come as a major setback. Earlier, he was sidelined by AAP as the party decided against nominating him to Rajya Sabha.
Senior Aam Aadmi Party leader Ashutosh resigned from the party on a "very personal reason" on Independence Day. He made the announcement on Twitter. However, his resignation was soon rejected by party chief Arvind Kejriwal.
Ashutosh tweeted, “Every journey has an end. My association with AAP which was beautiful/revolutionary has also an end. I have resigned from the PARTY/requested PAC to accept the same. It is purely from a very very personal reason. Thanks to party/all of them who supported me Throughout. Thanks.”
Every journey has an end. My association with AAP which was beautiful/revolutionary has also an end.I have resigned from the PARTY/requested PAC to accept the same. It is purely from a very very personal reason.Thanks to party/all of them who supported me Throughout.Thanks.
— ashutosh (@ashutosh83B)Soon, party chief and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal took to Twitter to do damage control.
"How can we ever accept your resignation? Not in this lifetime," Kejriwal tweeted. His tweet read, "How can we ever accept ur resignation? ना, इस जनम में तो नहीं।"
How can we ever accept ur resignation?
ना, इस जनम में तो नहीं। https://t.co/r7Y3tTcIOZ
The AAP was formed in 2012 and led by Arvind Kejriwal after the success of campaign ‘India against corruption’ lead by Anna Hazare. Ashutosh contested the 2014 Lok Sabha elections from Chandni Chowk constituency but lost to BJP's Harsh Vardhan.
Sources in the AAP said to MyNation that Ashutosh is keen to return to journalism. He is holding negotiations with a media house backed by Congress leader and former Union minister Kapil Sibal. The channel is likely to have Punya Prasun Bajpai and Milind Khandekar, too, in senior editorial ranks. The two journalists were recently asked by ABP News to resign allegedly on the ground of deliberate concoction of anti-government stories.
Earlier, founding members of Prashant Bhushan, Yogendra Yadav, and Anand Kumar had quit the party. Senior leaders Kumar Vishwas and Kapil Mishra also parted ways with AAP leadership.
The AAP's national media coordinator, Ashutosh worked as a television journalist before joining politics. He tweeted, “To media friends. Please respect my privacy. I won’t be giving any bite of any kind. Please cooperate.” He was previously associated with IBN7, of the TV18 group, as Managing Editor.
To media friends. Please respect my privacy. I won’t be giving any bite of any kind. Please cooperate.
— ashutosh (@ashutosh83B)Ashutosh was sidelined by AAP as the party decided against nominating him to Rajya Sabha.
In his second tweet, Kejriwal posted an old photo of him and Ashutosh hugging thus dismissing rumors of any conflict. “Everyone in AAP loves Ashutosh” he tweeted.
. सर, हम सब आपको बहुत प्यार करते हैं। https://t.co/2JuZeQbifz
— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal)This move of Ashutosh has come as a major setback for the party this month.
Earlier this week, a charge sheet was filed against Delhi CM, along with Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and 11 other Aam Aadmi Party members. They are accused of assaulting the chief secretary of Delhi, Anshu Prakash.
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