Delhi minister Kailash Gahlot resigns; AAP calls it conspiracy by BJP

Delhi minister Kailash Gahlot resigned from the Cabinet as well as the primary membership of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Sunday, citing “grave challenges the AAP faces from within”, its “embarrassing controversies” and several “unfilled promises” made by the party.
Chief minister Atishi has accepted Gahlot’s resignation, which is likely to be a major setback for the ruling party ahead of the Delhi assembly polls scheduled early next year.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has welcomed the development calling it a “brave step forward” while the AAP has said that Gahlot was being pressurised by the central investigative agencies, and that he has “no other option but to join BJP.”
A senior member of the Cabinet, Gahlot was overseeing transport, home, administrative reforms, information and technology as well as the women and child development portfolios in the Delhi government.
Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva said: “the resignation by Gahlot is a brave step. The issues which were being raised by the BJP have also been cited by Gahlot in his resignation letter. Within the Aam Aadmi Party, people believe the taxpayers’ money has been wasted on former CM’s residence, Yamuna is severely polluted. Any honest person who loves Delhi, can no longer work with this party.”
Reacting to the development, the AAP in a statement said, “There were many income tax and enforcement directorate cases against Gahlot and multiple raids had been carried out by these agencies. He had no other option but to join BJP. This is a conspiracy by the BJP which wants to win Delhi election with the help of central agencies.”
In a one-line resignation letter to the CM, Gahlot said that he tenders his resignation which may be accepted with immediate effect.
In a second letter to AAP chief and former chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, Gahlot said the party is facing “embarrassing and awkward” controversies like “Sheeshmahal”, a reference to Kejriwal’s former residence, which are now making everyone doubt whether the party still believes in Aam Aadmi (common man).
He alleged that instead of fighting for the rights of the people, the AAP was busy fighting for its own agenda which has crippled delivery of basic services in Delhi. “It is now obvious that real progress in Delhi cannot happen if the Delhi government spends the majority of its time fighting with the Centre,” the letter added.
Gahlot adds that the “political ambitions have overtaken AAPs commitment towards people leaving many promises unfulfilled.” “Take the example of the Yamuna, which we had promised to transform into a clean river…but now Yamuna is perhaps even more polluted than ever before,” he said.