'Opportunists' AAP gathered for sake of power: Congress

The Congress on Sunday criticised the Arvind Kejriwal led-Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), saying it is an inevitable fall of a group of opportunists who gathered together for the sake of power.

"This is an inevitable fall of a group of opportunists who gathered together for the sake of power.....When AAP didn't get the majority, they should have gone back to the people and said that they didn't get the majority, instead they took a shortcut and took the Congress' support," said Congress leader P.C. Chacko.

"How is AAP different from other parties? Not only Arvind Kejriwal, but Prashant Bhushan and Yogendra Yadav should reply because they were fully with them. When Kejriwal was taking oath, they were part of the celebrations, they were part of the strategic planning and everything," he added.

Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit echoing similar sentiments said that Kejriwal and his band of people are nothing but a bunch of power seeking people.

"Kejriwal and his band of people, who claim to have great moral and ethical force, are nothing but bunch of power seeking people," Dikshit told ANI here.

"I can predict in the coming years what kind of a government they will run, what kind of skeletons which will come out of their cupboard. And it's sad, they could not learn and get inspired by the values of the movement in which they were all involved," he added.

Dikshit asserted that the real fight in AAP is over power and money.

Earlier on Saturday, senior AAP leaders Prashant Bhushan and Yogendra Yadav were ousted from the party's national executive.

Out of the 311 national executive members present in yesterday's national council meeting, an overwhelming 247 members voted against Bhushan and Yadav while just 8 votes were cast in their favour.

The party also removed Anand Kumar and Ajit Jha from the national executive.

Talking to the media later, Yadav slammed the national council meeting as a farce and said that democracy has been murdered.

"Lokpal was not allowed to come to the meeting, Gopal Rai was made the chairman of the national executive in a minute, in the next minute the proposal was moved against Bhushan and me. We said that a discussion should be held on this matter to which Gopal Rai demanded a written application. When we said that we will give it in writing Manish Sisodia got up and started the voting process," said Yadav.

Bhushan on his part yesterday alleged that their supporters were beaten up by bouncers in the meeting.

"What unfolded today in the meeting was exactly what Arvind said in a sting that came out yesterday (on Friday), that we should be kicked out of the party. Goons were brought to the party, some of our MLAs were beating up people and we were not allowed to say anything in the meeting," he said.

AAP leader Sanjay Singh, however, later said the reports of scuffle during the meeting are completely baseless and untrue.

The party's internal rift had widened after Yadav and Bhushan were accused of working for party's defeat during the Delhi Assembly polls last month.