Rebel Aam Aadmi Party member Rakesh Agarwal has alleged the absence of “internal democracy” in the party led by national convenor Arvind Kejriwal.
Addressing a press conference on Tuesday, Mr. Agarwal also alleged that the party, which is being touted as the celebrated new entrant on the political scene, has “no agenda of governance.”
“The AAP talks about swaraj and democracy in public life, but the party has every thing but these two things. In order to raise these things I had written a letter to Mr. Kejriwal, but I am quite anguished by the fact that there has not been any response to my letter,” said Mr. Agarwal.
The AAP, however, questioned Mr. Agarwal’s credentials and alleged that he has several cases of financial fraud against him slapped by his employers in Delhi courts. Mr. Agarwal claimed to be the secretary of Nyaybhoomi, an NGO working for autorickshaw drivers in Delhi, but the party alleged that the executive committee of Nyayabhoomi had in April 2008 unanimously expelled him.
“Mr. Agarwal, whose name has figured in some reports pointing fingers at the party functioning, is not a member of any committee or functioning body in the party. He has never been part of party's any decision making body,” AAP said, adding that he had only approached the party earlier this year during the time of a rally of auto-rickshaw drivers at Ramlila Maidan.
