AAP seeks Alka Lamba's resignation after differences over resolution to revoke Rajiv Gandhi's Bharat Ratna

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP on Friday sought MLA Alka Lamba's resignation after she denied support to a resolution in the Assembly that called for revoking late PM Rajiv Gandhi's Bharat Ratna over the 1984 riots.

According to media reports, the AAP leadership had asked Lamba to resign from the Delhi Assembly and the primary membership of the party.

Lamba had walked out of the House after refusing to give her support to the resolution. Following which in a tweet she mentioned that she is ready to face any punishment because of her actions.

The MLA from Chandni Chowk told ANI, "The party has asked for my resignation. I'm ready to resign but Rajiv Gandhi has sacrificed a lot for the country and I didn't support the proposal in Assembly of taking back his Bharat Ratna. I've been asked to resign because I stood against the decision of the party."

On the second day of the special session of Delhi Assembly, AAP tabled the proposal of revoking the Bharat Ratna awarded to former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in view of the killing of Sikhs in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.

Reportedly, AAP MLA Jarnail Singh, mentioned Rajiv Gandhi's name in the Assembly and while elaborating on the resolution, demanded that the Bharat Ratna to the former prime minister be withdrawn for "justifying anti-Sikh riots".

Treading similar paths with Lamba, Saurabh Bharadwaj told ANI, that AAP's original resolution did not include the clause seeking withdrawal of Bharat Ratna conferred to Rajiv Gandhi. And that party leader Somnath Bharti scribbled an amendment.

"Original resolution prepared by us had demands of declaring 1984 riots as genocide creating a special law so that strict punishment can be given to perpetrators and creating fast-track courts to try such heinous crimes," he said.

"Somnath Bharti scribbled an amendment about Rajiv Gandhi, it wasn't part of original resolution .Original resolution with demands of declaring 1984 riots as genocide and fast-track courts has been passed. Proposal by Bharti remained proposal and couldn't be passed," he added.

Senior AAP leaders have distanced themselves from the controversy; but according to party sources, Lamba's behaviour did not go down well with the party leadership, after which they took the action.