(Ashutosh joined the Aam Aadmi Party in January 2014. The former journalist took on former Union minister Kapil Sibal and Health Minister Harsh Vardhan in the national election from Chandni Chowk in Delhi.)
Dear Yogendra Bhai
On this historic day, I want to remember the time when I first met you. It was 1997 and the parliamentary elections results were pouring in. It was a different era - the election results used to take 72 hours to come in and Doordarshan would cover them in the minutest detail. It was in the DD studio in Khelgaon that I met you. I was a young reporter who had been given a chance for the first time to anchor live just for two hours and you were one of the panelists on my show. I was curious and restless. I was impressed with your psephological understanding and political analysis. We continued to remain in touch, though not very frequently.
When I joined IBN7 as Managing Editor, thanks to Rajdeep, you became a permanent fixture in our election-related analysis. We had many off and on conversations regarding political developments, and we both benefited mutually. Both you and I had a huge interest in Anna Hazare's movement, and both of us were in touch with Arvind and other leaders of the movement.
You joined AAP when a section of the movement decided to become a political party, and you became one of the founding members. A year later, I also mustered the courage to join the bandwagon and be a member. It was a curious turn to my career. This was the first time that we both had an opportunity to work together.
I had always known you as a very polite and soft-spoken person. In contrast, I carry not so soft a demeanour myself. Slowly, I was getting to understand the nuances of politics which I had been observing as an analyst from outside. This was the time when you were very close to Arvind. He had total trust in you. You were his eyes and ears, and also the biggest trouble-shooter. This was also the time that when everybody thought that after Delhi, Haryana would be the next breakthrough state for AAP. You belonged to Haryana and had never hidden your political interest for long-term politics in the state and may have fancied yourself as the Chief Minister of the state at some time in the future.
Now I am writing this letter at a time when you are raising the issue of internal democracy, transparency and Swaraj in the party, and according to you, the party under the leadership of Arvind has moved away from the founding principles, and it is your endeavour to bring the party back to its natural gravitational centre. In this context, I want to ask you a few questions.
1. Is it not a fact that after the dream success of AAP in December 2013, you developed an ambition to be the anchor of the party in Haryana and you went out of your way to go to Arvind and pressurised him that you be appointed the party-in-charge for the state? Is it not true that Arvind appointed you without any hesitation to the post? Now you talk about Swaraj and consultation with volunteers as cardinal principles in the decision-making process. May I ask you, did you insist then that your appointment be made after wider consultation with volunteers? The reality is you did not. Was it not a violation of Swaraj concept?
2. Is it not a fact that you were desperate to contest the assembly elections in Haryana and when Arvind differed with you, you became bitter? This was the time when AAP had lost the parliamentary elections badly, and our obituaries were being written in the media. And you know that Prashant and you were among the few who insisted that if AAP was to emerge as a national alternative, then the party should contest all the seats in Parliament. Arvind pleaded with you to fight only a selected few seats, but he was overruled, and everybody knows the results, and he was blamed for the loss and had to bear the brunt of the media. I was expecting that one of you would have come out and taken the blame but alas, that was not to be.
3. Arvind was blamed for imposing his will on the party when he did not want to contest the assembly elections. Yes, he was opposed to it and he was of the opinion that in Haryana, we did not stand a chance, and we would end up like any other party, and the Haryana elections would impact the Delhi elections badly. He was right. You yourself had also admitted that AAP MIGHT NOT get more than 5% vote in Haryana. You were very insistent despite that, and finally the decision was left to the national executive which declined to go with you. Later, I was amazed to hear - and it was repeated innumerable times - that it was Arvind who bulldozed the decision. Anybody who believes in internal democracy of the party would have accepted the decision of the party by majority opinion, but you did not. May I ask - is this democracy?
4. Is it not a fact that when the party lost the parliamentary elections, you insisted on a review of the defeat in Arvind's absence? He was in jail, and we all were sad; you were so insistent on the review that we all were surprised and felt bad. In fact, all of us had then said "what is the hurry?" and we should wait for Arvind to get out of jail, after which we could discuss the results threadbare. This was the time I felt it was not simple review which you were demanding - it was much more than that. Only history will judge what it was.
5. It was from this point that 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 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. You knew your political journey had reached a dead end. But Arvind and the party forgave you, and no action was initiated against you thanks to the large-heartedness of the very same Arvind whom you blame now for not behaving in a democratic way.
This story can go on and on. And real facts will come out, and also the real reason why an internal revolt against Arvind was engineered, and who were the faces behind it. But let me tell you that today, when the national council is going to meet, and take many historic decisions, I am very sad and bitter. All of us had promised to cleanse the system from all the malaise because of which politics has earned a bad name, and today, when I see the same faces for whom I had tremendous respect for years, I feel let down, if not shattered. But let me also tell you, today, I am, along with thousands of volunteers, more determined to change the system for a better India. And we will succeed. There will be temporary setbacks but history is on our side.
Regards,
Ashutosh
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