Yogendra Yadav removed from AAP's Political Affairs Committee

Senior Aam Aadmi Party leader Yogendra Yadav was removed from the party's key Political Affairs Committee (PAC) on Wednesday.

The decision was apparently taken by the national executive of the AAP this afternoon.

Reports also said that the PAC is being reconstituted, and there is speculation that both Yadav and senior advocate Prashant Bhushan will be assigned new and different responsibilities within the party.

Earlier,senior advocate and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader H.S. Phoolka had charged Yadav and his accomplices with being hungry for power. He also described Yadav as a destabilising influence within the AAP.

"There are others (Read Yadav) who are very keen about posts. The national executive will decide today about why these people are trying to destabilize the party," Phoolka had said.

When asked who the 'other' people are, he said, "Yogendra Yadav and group."

The AAP has been embroiled in an ugly internal strife barely a month after forming a majority government in Delhi.

AAP leaders Yogendra Yadav and Prashant Bhushan were reportedly asked to put forth their clarifications in the party's national executive meeting today on statements that they have been making against the functioning of the party over the past couple of weeks.

Yadav's removal from the PAC means that he cease to be a decision maker in a party, which hopes to expand its wings in the country once it cements its foundation in Delhi.

There were reports of a majority of the national executive being in favour of his ouster on grounds that he had brought a bad name to the AAP by talking about the lack of so-called internal democracy in the party.

In his defence, Yadav had said this morning that he was hopeful that the party's national executive meet would result in some 'good news'.

"The AAP has been able to stand because of the hopes of people. People from all over the country are sending us messages to stand united and I am sure that they won't be disappointed. I am sure the outcome of the meeting would be positive and we will give you some ' good news' by evening," Yadav said in an exclusive interview with ANI.

Furthermore, the AAP leader said that the issue within the party was not over who should be the party convenor, but over ways to bring about a better social balance.

"How to make the views of the volunteers heard and bring more unity, how to strengthen internal democracy and what steps should be taken to make our party more efficient and better than other parties? These are some of the questions that need to be resolved," he added.

He asserted that leaving a post did not mean that he would have to leave the party

"If I have done anything wrong, I should be punished for that, if I have violated discipline, action should be taken. If I am not capable enough to be in PAC, I should be removed, but leaving a post doesn't mean I'll leave party. We have a huge mandate, this is a moment to work with large heartedness, we represent hope, those hopes will not be dashed," he said.