Journalist-turned-politician Ashutosh on Wednesday stunned everyone by announcing that he was snapping his ties with Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party.
Taking to Twitter, Ashutosh wrote, “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.Thanks.”
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.Thanks.
— ashutosh (@ashutosh83B) August 15, 2018
In his subsequent tweet, he also requested media to respect his privacy and not hound him with interview requests. He wrote, “To media friends. Please respect my privacy. I won’t be giving any bite of any kind. Please cooperate.”
To media friends. Please respect my privacy. I won’t be giving any bite of any kind. Please cooperate.
— ashutosh (@ashutosh83B) August 15, 2018
Reacting to his resignation, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal tweeted, “How can we ever accept ur resignation? Not at least in this life.”
How can we ever accept ur resignation?
ना, इस जनम में तो नहीं। https://t.co/r7Y3tTcIOZ
— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) August 15, 2018
AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh too said that he and his colleagues will meet and request him to reconsider his decision.
हम सब मिलकर @ashutosh83B जी से अनुरोध करेंगे की वो अपना फ़ैसला वापस लें।
— Sanjay Singh AAP (@SanjayAzadSln) August 15, 2018
Ashutosh had quit his profession as journalist to formally join the AAP. He even unsuccessfully contested the Lok Sabha elections in 2014 from Delhi’s Chandni Chowk constituency.
There were plenty of speculations that he will leave AAP after the party decided to offer the Rajya Sabha seats to two unknown individuals Sushil Gupta and ND Gupta, who had no previous association with the party.
Ashutosh follows other ex-AAP leaders such as Prashant Bhushan, Yogendera Yadav and Shazia Ilmi, who too left the party due to their differences with Kejriwal.
