File photo of AAP leader Yogendra Yadav
A Twitter war has broken out between the Aam Aadmi Party and rebel leader Yogendra Yadav this morning after show-cause notices were sent to dissident leaders last night.
Rebel AAP leaders Yogendra Yadav and Prashant Bhushan have been given two days to reply to the charges against them, failing which they might be expelled from the party, sources told NDTV.
Mr Yadav reacted to the show cause notice by calling it a joke. "Got the Show Cause Notice from Disciplinary committee at midnight. The complainants and witnesses are themselves judges! #WhatAJoke," he tweeted this morning.
AAP leader Ashutosh was quick to hit back.
"Those who talk about processes and institutions have shown scant regard for them," he tweeted.
The decision on the fate of the two leaders -- whose dissidence had precipitated a crisis in the party days after it swept the assembly polls in Delhi -- had been left to the party's disciplinary committee after they formed a "non-political" parallel group called "Swaraj Abhiyan". The two have already been sacked from all key posts and committees.
Notices have also been sent to senior leaders Anand Kumar and Ajit Jha.
The charges against Mr Bhushan include his "open challenge" to the party leadership through the formation of the parallel group. He also allegedly asked the opinion of volunteers in Swaraj Samvaad about the formation of a new party.
AAP also claims they provided support to AVAM, an organization working against the party. Party spokesperson Deepak Bajpai said they have "evidence" of this. The two leaders have also been accused of giving interviews against party leadership stating wrong facts and without party authorization.
The formation of Swaraj Abhiyan on April 14 had set the stage for the final showdown in the party after weeks of fierce infighting.
The two leaders who have been openly critical of party chief and Delhi Chief Minister Mr Kejriwal, claim they are fighting for internal democracy. AAP accuses them of trying to unseat Mr Kejriwal and undermine its campaign in the Delhi election, which ended with a record result for India's youngest party.