Expelled AAP legislator ends 'fast', to protest again (Third Lead)

Expelled AAP legislator Vinod Kumar Binny called off his hunger strike within hours of starting it Monday but threatened to launch another protest against the Delhi government soon.

"We are giving 10 days time to the Delhi government. If our demands are not met, we will lunch a movement against the Aam Aadmi Party," Binny told the media after calling off the fast.

Earlier, he began his protest at the Jantar Mantar area in the heart of the capital, accusing the one-month-old Arvind Kejriwal government of not implementing its campaign promises.

Binny was expelled from the party Sunday evening, about 10 days after he turned a rebel. The AAP has also terminated his primary membership of the party.

The legislator, who defeated A.K. Walia, the health minister in the previous Sheila Dikshit government, from the Laxmi Nagar assembly constituency in east Delhi, has been attacking the AAP government for allegedly backtracking on promises made in the election manifesto.

Another AAP leader, Tina Sharma, who joined him in the protest, said: "This is a fight on issues. The AAP has breached the trust of people."

A few supporters of India Against Corruption (IAC) also extended support to Binny.

"Kejriwal's priority is not to save the government and work for the welfare of the people. His priority is to run away from promises he made to the people during the elections. But I won't let him run away from his responsibilities," said Binny.

Refuting the charges, Kejriwal said Monday that unlike other governments, the AAP has cleared a number of development works in the one month it has been in power.

"We are not here to do politics or to save our government," he said.