AAP pacifies Kumar Vishwas with key post, acts against MLA

New Delhi: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) managed to pacify its founding leader Kumar Vishwas on Wednesday by suspending an MLA who had spoken against the poet-politician, averting a crisis in Delhi’s ruling party facing dissension following a string of election defeats.

The party suspended Okhla MLA Amanatullah Khan and set up a disciplinary committee to probe his alleged statements against Mr Vishwas that he was plotting to dislodge its chief and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal.

Mr Khan had also called Mr Vishwas an “RSS-BJP agent”. After that, the latter had indicated he might quit the party.

The party also decided to entrust Mr Vishwas with the responsibility of Rajasthan, which goes to the polls by the end of 2018.

As the party meeting went on at Mr Kejriwal’s Civil Lines residence, the mood outside was tense. Volunteers gathered in the hope that Mr Vishwas’ differences with the party will be sorted. A majority of them backed Mr Vishwas, who has amassed a massive fan following. As the poet-politician came out of the meeting, there was a loud cheer for him.

On Tuesday, Mr Vishwas had said he was unwilling to apologise for his video titled “We the Nation” in which he apparently hinted at corruption in the AAP government in Delhi.