Headlines
I am being targeted by AAP: Mayank Gandhi
Mumbai, March 7
Senior AAP leader Mayank
Gandhi said here on Saturday that he has been targeted by some party
leaders for his March 5 statement challenging a gag order and revealing
the proceedings of the AAP national executive meeting.
Gandhi
claimed a 'concerted attempt' is being made in social media to label him
"anti-party and anti-AK (Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal)" and
reiterated his statement that a price might have to be paid (by him).
"A
small group of party decision makers in Delhi has already removed me
from the informal BBM group. Attacks have begun against me from AAP
leader Ashish Khetan and others. Some dissatisfied members from
Maharashtra have started giving interviews against me, some old cases
are being re-opened," Gandhi said in a blog.
The Aam Aadmi Party
(AAP) may decide not to fight the BMC polls (Mumbai) or delay the
decision for the same, the leadership of Maharashtra will be challenged
and discredited by some individuals and information would be leaked to
media, he said.
"More will come and I will be finally humiliated
so much that I will quit. That was what was planned for (AAP leaders)
Yogendra Yadav and Prashant Bhushan, but they overturned the plan by
staying in the party. Let me see if I can withstand that much," Gandhi
said, expressing apprehensions for the future.
Referring to his
previous blog, Gandhi asserted that he had "personally challenged" a gag
order on the proceedings of the national executive and it was not
intended to be any form of defiance against the party leadership.
"I
am generally non-confrontational...But now is the time to take a stand.
This is not to weaken the party nor our leadership, but to strengthen
the AAP and the principles that we have espoused," Gandhi said.
Since
the national executive meeting, thousands of worried volunteers from
across the world have been asking about the difference between the AAP
and other (political) parties, he said.
"I want to tell the
country that there is a huge difference and in the next few weeks, we
volunteers shall demonstrate the same," Gandhi declared.
Urging
for mass participation in the AAP decision making processes, he cited
the example of Iceland which crowd-sourced its constitution in 2013.
"(AAP)
volunteers need to propose to the national executive about processes
and systems on inner party democracy, volunteer management and
communication, constitution of the PAC and national executive, code of
conduct for volunteers and leaders, gender justice, conflict resolution
mechanisms, and policy stands," Gandhi urged.
He said it is time
to participate in the party functioning in the best traditions of
'Swaraj', non-confrontational, graceful and constructive, respectful to
the leadership.
"We are all learning," he said.
Gandhi
repeated that he truly believed Kejriwal is the hope for the country and
his statements were not rebellious, not anti-leadership nor seeking
personal attention.