The Aam Aadmi Party, on Wednesday, claimed that the resignation of Delhi minister Raaj Kumar Anand vindicates its stand that Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's arrest was aimed at finishing the party, and accused the BJP of using the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the CBI to "break our ministers and MLAs".
Anand, who was holding various portfolios including social welfare, resigned from the Delhi cabinet and quit the AAP, claiming that the party has become corrupt. He also alleged that Dalits were not given representation in the party.
AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh said, "It is 'agnipariksha' (trial by fire) of AAP ministers and MLAs," he said.
He said although the resignation may demotivate some party workers, the party will stand strong against attempts to break the organisation.
Singh said earlier the BJP used to call Anand corrupt "when a raid was conducted against him by the ED but now the party will welcome him into its fold with garlands".
Delhi minister Saurabh Bharadwaj claimed that Anand may have been coerced to quit the AAP and added that the party will not call him a “betrayer.”
“Many people will think that we will now blame Anand and call him a betrayer. But we won't call him any of these things. Because we guess he might have got scared. He is a family man and has kids and relatives. Not everyone is Sanjay Singh and they can rot in jail for so many days," Bharadwaj was quoted as saying.
Bharadwaj claimed that Anand had told his close colleagues that whenever he used to be more active, he had received phone calls. "If this is how a Dalit MLA is threatened, imagine what will be the situation of the people," he added.
Announcing his resignation, Anand said, "This party (AAP) doesn't respect Dalit MLAs, councillors and ministers. In such circumstances, all Dalits feel cheated. We live in an inclusive society, but it is not wrong to talk about proportion. It is difficult for me to remain in the party with all these things."
He also hit out at Kejriwal, who is in Tihar jail after being remanded in judicial custody in an excise policy-linked money laundering case and has failed to get any relief from the Delhi High Court, saying, "Till yesterday, we were under the impression that we are being framed, but after the High Court verdict, it seems that there is something wrong at our end."