AAP MLA Baldev Singh resigns because the party no longer harbours sound principles

On Wednesday, AAP MLA, Baldev Singh, resigned from the party’s primary membership becoming the second legislator to leave the party this month after MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira, who resigned on the 6th of January. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Punjab is on its way to becoming Akela Aadmi Party as one by one, its members keep deserting the party.

In his resignation letter to Arvind Kejriwal, he said, “I am pained to forward my resignation from the primary membership of the AAP because the party has completely given up its basic ideology and principles.”
MLA Baldev Singh alleged that after the Lok Sabha elections Kejriwal preferred outsiders over Punjabis. He said, “Instead of expressing faith in the abilities of Punjabis and rewarding them you preferred to send an army of outsiders to muzzle the voice of our people. The said army was headed by two arrogant Subedar’s who indulged in every mean maneuvers to promote their near and dear ones. Thereafter all sorts of allegations including exchange of money, favouritism, nepotism and exploitation of women started gaining ground. Lots of AAP volunteers from Punjab tried to complain about their arrogant activities but you always turned a blind eye to save your blue eyed boys.”

These allegations are absolutely shocking and incidentally AAP is the very party that raised the issue of women’s safety enthusiastically in the run-up to the elections. Women’s safety, figured prominently on the party’s manifesto and Arvind Kejriwal’s credentials as an enforcer of women’s safety have been well-established since he ridiculed Sheila Dikshit’s helplessness, which helped him lure voters to his side. One AAP female volunteer activist in Delhi even committed suicide because of another AAP worker, Ramesh Wadhwa, whom she accused of sexually abusing her. She was depressed by the fact that the party had taken no action and felt obliged to consume poison and her life. A video clip also surfaced in the media wherein the activist claimed that she was told by AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal to ‘compromise’ with her offender. She said, “Mai gayi thi CM sahab ke paas, unhone ne kaha compromise karlo (I went to the Chief Minister with my complaint, he told me to compromise).”

The former gonvener of the Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) Ferozepur unit, Amandeep Kaur, resigned from the party in the year 2015, claiming that there was no respect and safety for women in the AAP. The most shocking claim made by her was that at least 52 women including her were sexually harassed by male colleagues.

Last year, Somnath Bharti told a female TV anchor to ‘become a prostitute’ and accused her of being a ‘broker’ for the Bharatiya Janata Party. Bharti was in conversation with an anchor from Sudarshan News when he made these degrading statements. On being asked a tough question, Bharti lost his temper and asked her to ‘stop doing bh*dwagiri’ and become a ‘prostitute’. Earlier, in 2014, Bharti had allegedly led a mob that assaulted an African woman as well.  In September 2015, Bharti was arrested on the charges of domestic abuse after his wife alleged him of torturing her physically and mentally.

In addition to Somnath Bharti, many party leaders and post holders of AAP, have also been accused of harassing women. MLA Amanatullah Khan was accused of sexual harassment by his own sister-in-law. While Investigating the case, a senior police officer had said, “Khan had put pressure on her (Khan’s sister-in-law) to get into physical relationship with him”.

In 2016, former AAP MLA Ashutosh had defended an expelled AAP minister, Sandeep Kumar, who was caught receiving sexual favours in exchange for ration cards. If this is the Aam Aadmi Party and its leaders’ attitude towards women, then it’s no wonder that women feel unsafe in Delhi.