Expel Amanullah Khan from AAP, demand activists, Punjab MLA

A day after his remarks against senior AAP leader Kumar Vishwas, a group of the party volunteers and a party legislator from Punjab on Monday demanded expulsion of Delhi legislator Amanatullah Khan from the party.

A group of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) volunteers staged a demonstration at Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's residence to press their demand for Khan's removal from the party.

Khan on Sunday alleged that Vishwas -- who is considered close to Kejriwal -- was conspiring to break the party and had asked some legislators to join the BJP with an offer of Rs 30 crore each.

Khan said that Vishwas had called some AAP legislators to his home with the offer at the behest of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

"Kumar Vishwas called some MLAS and asked them that he should be made the party convenor," the legislator from Okhla said.

An AAP volunteer, who was protesting, said that by making remarks against the party's founder member Kumar Vishwas, Khan had not only maligned Vishwas's image but also caused a damage to the party.

"He should be expelled," the protester said.

Meanwhile, AAP legislator from Punjab Sukhpal Singh Khaira wrote a letter to AAP national convenor Kejriwal and demanded that Khan be "expelled" from the party for making "maliciously false" and "defamatory" allegations against Kumar Vishwas.

In a letter to Kejriwal, Khaira said that Khan's remarks not only brought disrepute to Vishwas but also "damaged the party in the eyes of the people".

"Amanatullah Khan's statements are not only aimed to malign the image of Kumar Vishwas but there is an ulterior motive to create a deep wedge between yourself (Kejriwal) and Kumar Vishwas," he said.

"I request that immediate stringent disciplinary action amounting to his (Khan's) expulsion from the party be taken against him for tarnishing the image of AAP and Kumar Vishwas," Khaira demanded.

Khan's remarks have come after Vishwas in a TV interview on Friday said the party won't hesitate in taking a call on change in its leadership after its poor show in Delhi municipal polls.

He has said blaming the EVMs entirely for the party's poll defeats was wrong as there was mistrust among people against the party.

Kejriwal on Sunday denied any rift with Vishwas after Khan accused the latter of trying to break the party at the BJP's behest.

--IANS

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