After senior Aam Aadmi Party leader Ashutosh announced his decision to resign from the political outfit, citing a “very, very personal reason,” AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal said he will not accept the resignation "in this lifetime".
Ashutosh has been considered to be among the most senior members to join the AAP after its founding, leaving his career as a journalist. In addition to being a party spokesperson, Ashutosh had contested the 2014 Lok Sabha election from Chandni Chowk.
He took to Twitter to announce his decision to quit the AAP. “Every journey has an end. My association with AAP which was beautiful/revolutionary has also an end. I have resigned from the PARTY/requested PAC to accept the same. It is purely from a very very personal reason. Thanks to party/all of them who supported me Throughout,” he had tweeted.
The Delhi chief minister too took to Twitter to say that he will not accept the resignation. "How can we ever accept ur resignation (sic)?," and added in Hindi, "Na, is janam mein to nahin (not in this lifetime)," he tweeted.
Ashutosh had contested the 2014 Lok Sabha election from Chandni Chowk on an AAP ticket and managed to bag over three lakh votes, more than Congress veteran Kapil Sibal and over a lakh less than the BJP's Harsh Vardhan.
Ashutosh, who continued writing columns for major news organisations, has, in recent months, written appreciatively of Congress chief Rahul Gandhi and the wider opposition's attempt to forge unity against the BJP. Hours before he announced his decision to quit AAP, Ashutosh had sarcastically tweeted that BJP members should adopt cows on Independence Day.
The chief spokesperson of the AAP's Delhi unit, Saurabh Bhardwaj, told PTI that Ashutosh's resignation was not accepted and he was urged to reconsider his decision.
Senior AAP functionary and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh said, "We all will request Ashutosh to take his resignation back."
He, however, added that his relationship with Ashutosh as a "true and dependable friend" will continue lifelong. "His separation from the party is not less than a heart rendering incident for me," Singh tweeted.
(With PTI inputs)