Yogendra Yadav a friend, will try to get Shazia Ilmi back into AAP: Arvind Kejriwal

Zee Media Bureau

New Delhi: As the rift in Aam Aadmi Party`s top leadership emerged after exchange of letters between Yogendra Yadav and Manish Sisodia, party chief Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday tried to water done the issue. The former Delhi chief minister`s reaction comes after Yadav known to be a key strategist, had written to the Political Affairs Committee after his resignation from it charging the party with "falling prey to personality cult" and that the decisions taken reflected the wishes of the party chief. He described Kejriwal as a supremo. Kejriwal, who attended the National Executive Council meeting along with other party leaders today to discuss the issues related to the resignations submitted by the party`s top leaders recently, tweeted, “Yog yadav is a v dear friend and a v valued colleague. Had long discussion with him....”

Yog yadav is a v dear friend and a v valued colleague. Had long discussion with him....

— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) June 7, 2014

Yog yadav has raised some imp issues. All of us will work on it.

— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) June 7, 2014

Yadav in a letter to party`s Political Affairs Committee said: "There is a widespread perception among the workers and sympathisers as well as external observers that the party is falling prey to the disease of personality cult that afflicts all the political parties in the country." The letter was also written, explaining the reasons on why he quit from the party`s all powerful PAC. “Major decisions of the party appear to, and indeed do, reflect the wishes of one person; when he changes his mind, the party changes its course of action; proximity to the Leader comes to substitute for organisational roles and responsibilities.” "Since all the decisions and successes are credited to one person, all the blame also begins to accumulate at the doors of one person," Yadav said. Interestingly, senior party leader and Kejriwal`s close aide Manish Sisodia shot a letter in response to Yadav`s letter accusing him of targeting the party chief and making internal matters public. Sisodia who accused Yadav of "sabotaging the party and finishing its chief Arvind Kejriwal". Kejriwal also said that he would talk to his former colleague Shazia Ilmi and try to get her back into the party fold. Shazi had resigned last month and accused the AAP of being run by a "crony clique" who take "impulsive decisions".

We will also try to get shazia back— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) June 7, 2014

Criticising Kejriwal, Ilmi had said: "I have decided to give up my membership of the AAP and resign from all positions within the party." "Arvind has shot the messenger. For the last four years, I fought like an obedient soldier. However, now I have been systematically marginalised because I offered a voice of dissent and constructive criticism," she said.