(Kundan Sharma was a volunteer with the Aam Aadmi Party. In 2013, he donated a blue WagonR car to AAP, which was used extensively by Arvind Kejriwal during his first stint as Delhi Chief Minister. He is an MTech gold medalist from Anna University and works with an investment bank in Delhi.)
Yes, I have asked the Aam Aadmi Party to return my blue WagonR, along with a motorcycle and the various donations my wife, Shraddha, and I have made to the party so far. I really do not need any of these back, but I have used the blue WagonR as a tool to express my disappointment because Arvind Kejriwal is not listening. He is becoming arrogant.
I used to believe in Arvind Kejriwal. Today, I will not trust him. I will think about whether what he says is true or not. I had not come to AAP to form an alternate government in Delhi. I had come for an alternate politics - cleaner politics.
It is not just on the basis of the events of the past few weeks that I made my decision to distance myself from AAP. When I had raised an objection against fielding a tainted candidate in the recent Delhi election, no action was taken. Time and again, I tried getting in touch with Kejriwal to express my disappointment. I e-mailed him. I wrote him. I tried to call him. I received no response. That's why I have raised it in the public domain.
People are trolling me and my wife on Twitter and calling us names. I am being called an AVAM (Aam Aadmi Volunteer Action Manch) agent. I am being accused of being a publicity seeker. I never wanted a ticket from AAP or Kejriwal. I am a software guy. I have never wanted a career in politics.
I am shaken. The bigger dream of cleaner politics, which had drawn thousands of us, now stands shattered. I am not able to look my father in the eye; he had donated a third of his pension to the Aam Aadmi Party.
Even if AAP does return my car, my bike and my money, I will donate them to an NGO.
I spoke with Arvind Kejriwal on January 1, 2013, and offered the blue WagonR. I did so because it was something that the common man could relate with and it would give Kejriwal a common man's outlook as Chief Minister. He told me he would have to issue a donation certificate, and that a valuation of the car would have to be done. I told him none of that would be necessary, and that he could just go ahead with the formalities to transfer the ownership to the Aam Aadmi Party. The process took eight months.
I have two specific questions for the AAP leadership:
1. Arvind Kejriwal said that he accepted all the demands of Yogendra Yadav and Prashant Bhushan. Which means that the demands were legitimate? So shouldn't people with legitimate demands be respected in the party rather than showing them the exit gate?
2. For each and every allegation, AAP had a standard reply - that it was probed by the internal Lokpal. But for the conspiracy allegations against Yogendra Yadav and Prashant Bhushan, Kejriwal preferred to be the Lokpal, sacking his own Lokpal?
I cannot comment on whether Yogendra Yadav and Prashant Bhushan were right. I am not the judge of that. But they asked the right questions and they were shown the door. I am disgusted that some MLAs were harassing Shanti Bhushan and attempted to remove him from a meeting.
I have this to say to Arvind Kejriwal: take action against Yogendra Yadav and Prashant Bhushan in public. But do it only after you have proof of the wrongdoing you are accusing them of. Do not throw anyone out because they disagreed. You cannot be right all the time, nobody can.
Many have asked me if I would support Yogendra Yadav or Prashant Bhushan if they launch a party. My answer is, I wouldn't. Not because it has anything to do with them. As I said, I did not come here to form an alternate government in Delhi. I came here for alternate politics. And my dream stands shattered.
All of these politicians are the same, there is no difference. I have just lost all my faith in politics.
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