Ashish Khetan quits AAP week after Ashutosh’s resignation, say sources

Just a week after Aam Aadmi Party’s Ashutosh resigned, citing personal reasons, another top AAP leader Ashish Khetan has quit the party, news agency PTI reported quoting sources .

Khetan, who did not deny the resignation, on Wednesday said he was not involved in “active politics at the moment” and was not interested in rumours.

“I had resigned from DDC in April, to join the legal profession. That is all. Not interested in rumours,” Khaitan tweeted, referring to the Delhi Dialogue and Development Commission, an advisory body of the Delhi government.

“I am completely focussed on my legal practice and not involved in active politics at the moment. Rest is all extrapolation,” he said in another tweet. Khetan had resigned as DDC vice chairman citing “frustration” due to the tussle between the Centre and the AAP-led government.

Sources in party, according the news agency PTI, said Ashish Khetan had sent his resignation to AAP chief and Delhi chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on August 15, the day Ashutosh had announced his resignation from the party, citing “very, very” personal reasons..

“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 [political action committee] to accept the same. It is purely from a very very personal reason. Thanks to party/all of them who supported me Throughout (sic). Thanks,” Ashutosh had said on Twitter.

I had resigned from DDC in April, to join the legal profession. That is all. Not interested in rumours

— Ashish Khetan (@AashishKhetan) August 22, 2018

Both resignations are yet to be accepted by Kejriwal, party insiders said. Refusing Ashutosh’s resignation, Arvind Kejriwal said he would try his best to keep the former TV journalist within the fold.

Kejriwal and other party leaders, through series of tweets on Wednesday, urged Ashutosh to reconsider his decision. “How can we accept ur resignation? Na, is janam mein toh nahi (No, not in this life),” Kejriwal tweeted.

In another tweet, the CM expressed his “love” for the leader. “Sir, hum sab aapko bohut pyaar karte hain (we all love you a lot),” the tweet read.

AAP sources claimed Khetan wanted to contest the 2019 Lok Sabha elections from the New Delhi parliamentary seat that he had lost to BJP’s Meenakshi Lekhi in 2014. But his demand was not being accepted by the leadership and he had been upset for a while.

First Published: Aug 22, 2018 12:32 IST