After Aam Aadmi Party candidate Manish Sisodia lost his Jangpura seat in the Delhi Assembly elections, former AAP leader Kumar Vishwas said that his wife began crying, adding that it was not out of sympathy for the AAP leader.
"When we got the news of Manish (Sisodia) losing from Jangpura, my wife, who is apolitical, started crying," said Vishwas, a poet, who was also one of the founding members of the AAP.
Recalling an old conversation and hinting at the arrogance displayed by the AAP leader, Vishwas said, &ldquo;When Sisodia was once told by my wife that 'Bhaiya, you are not always going to be in power', Manish Sisodia shot back saying 'Abhi toh hai (I am in power today). I hope others will not display this arrogance. Other parties will learn and profit from it. I congratulate the citizens of Delhi."
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/atishi-resigns-as-delhi-chief-minister-after-aap-faces-massive-defeat-against-bjp-8704138">Atishi resigns as Delhi chief minister after AAP faces massive defeat against BJP</a>
<h2 dir="ltr">Sisodia lost Jangpura seat</h2>
Former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia conceded his defeat from the Jangpura seat in Delhi Assembly polls on Saturday (Feb 8) after he lost to Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) Tarvinder Singh Marwah.
Speaking to the media, Sisodia asserted that the people have supported him well and affirmed hope that the BJP's candidate will work for the constituency.
"Party workers fought well; we all did hard work. People have supported us as well. But, I lost by 600 votes. I congratulate the candidate who won. I hope he will work for the constituency," he said.
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/delhi-election-results-2025-bjp-triumphs-after-27-years-ousting-aap-congress-fails-to-open-account-8703038">Delhi Election Results 2025: BJP triumphs after 27 years, ousting AAP; Congress fails to open account</a>
<h2 dir="ltr">BJP triumphs after 27 years, ousting AAP</h2>
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, won a historic mandate in Delhi assembly polls after a 27-year hiatus, ousting the Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) from power. According to the data of the Election Commission of India, the BJP won 48 seats.
The 2025 Delhi Assembly election delivered some unexpected results, with several high-profile candidates failing to secure their seats. The prominent AAP leaders include former chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia, Saurabh Bharadwaj, and Avadh Ojha.
Other leaders who lost the poll include BJP's Ramesh Bidhuri, AAP's Satyendar Jain, and Congress&rsquo;s Alka Lamba and Sandeep Dikshit.
(With inputs from agencies)

India News: Following Manish Sisodia's defeat in the Jangpura seat, Kumar Vishwas revealed that his wife's tears were not for sympathy toward the AAP leader's loss.

After Aam Aadmi Party candidate Manish Sisodia lost his Jangpura seat in the Delhi Assembly elections, former AAP leader Kumar Vishwas said that his wife began crying, adding that it was not out of sympathy for the AAP leader. "When we got the news of Manish (Sisodia) losing from Jangpura, my wife, who is apolitical, started crying," said Vishwas, a poet, who was also one of the founding members of the AAP. Recalling an old conversation and hinting at the arrogance displayed by the AAP leader, Vishwas said, “When Sisodia was once told by my wife that 'Bhaiya, you are not always going to be in power', Manish Sisodia shot back saying 'Abhi toh hai (I am in power today). I hope others will not display this arrogance. Other parties will learn and profit from it. I congratulate the citizens of Delhi." Also read | Atishi resigns as Delhi chief minister after AAP faces massive defeat against BJP Sisodia lost Jangpura seat Former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia conceded his defeat from the Jangpura seat in Delhi Assembly polls on Saturday (Feb 8) after he lost to Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) Tarvinder Singh Marwah. Speaking to the media, Sisodia asserted that the people have supported him well and affirmed hope that the BJP's candidate will work for the constituency. "Party workers fought well; we all did hard work. People have supported us as well. But, I lost by 600 votes. I congratulate the candidate who won. I hope he will work for the constituency," he said. Also read | Delhi Election Results 2025: BJP triumphs after 27 years, ousting AAP; Congress fails to open account BJP triumphs after 27 years, ousting AAP The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, won a historic mandate in Delhi assembly polls after a 27-year hiatus, ousting the Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) from power. According to the data of the Election Commission of India, the BJP won 48 seats. The 2025 Delhi Assembly election delivered some unexpected results, with several high-profile candidates failing to secure their seats. The prominent AAP leaders include former chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia, Saurabh Bharadwaj, and Avadh Ojha. Other leaders who lost the poll include BJP's Ramesh Bidhuri, AAP's Satyendar Jain, and Congress’s Alka Lamba and Sandeep Dikshit. (With inputs from agencies)

Delhi Election Results: ‘My wife, who is apolitical, started crying after Sisodia’s defeat,’ says Kumar Vishwas

The Delhi High Court and Arun Jaitley today accepted the apology tendered by dissident Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Kumar Vishwas for levelling allegations against the finance minister.

In a relief to the poet-turned politician, Jaitley's lawyer Manik Dogra said, "We have accepted it (apology)." 
 
Justice Rajiv Sahai Endlaw noted that Vishwas, in a letter submitted in the court today, has without any reservation, unequivocally withdrawn all the allegations levelled against the BJP leader.

The court disposed of the suit in which Vishwas was the only one against whom the defamation suit remained after Arvind Kejriwal and four other AAP leaders -- Raghav Chadha, Sanjay Singh, Ashutosh and Deepak Bajpai-- had tendered unequivocal apology to Arun Jaitley in the Rs 10 crore defamation suit filed against them by the union minister.

Vishwas, through his advocate Amit Yadav, tendered sincere apology to Jaitley and his family members for causing any harm to them.

Senior advocate Rajiv Nayar and advocate Manik Dogra, who appeared for Jaitley, said they have accepted Vishwas's apology.

The court said, "apology has been accepted by the plaintiff and this court and decree is passed in favour of Arun Jaitley and against Kumar Vishwas in terms of letter handed over today..."

Vishwas had earlier told the court that before making any statement or apology to Jaitley, he wanted to know if Kejriwal lied when he said his allegations against the union minister were based on documents.

The dissident AAP leader had told the court that he needed more time to decide what statement he will make so that the suit can be disposed of as he was personally not interested in taking the matter forward.&nbsp;

Jaitley had lodged the Rs 10 crore defamation suit in December 2015 against Kejriwal and the five AAP leaders after they had alleged financial irregularities in the Delhi and District Cricket Association when the union minister was its president. The BJP leader had denied all the allegations.&nbsp;

Arun Jaitley had lodged the Rs 10 crore defamation suit in December 2015 against Kejriwal and the five AAP leaders after they had alleged financial irregularities in the Delhi and District Cricket Association when the finance minister was its president

The Delhi High Court and Arun Jaitley today accepted the apology tendered by dissident Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Kumar Vishwas for levelling allegations against the finance minister. In a relief to the poet-turned politician, Jaitley's lawyer Manik Dogra said, "We have accepted it (apology)." Justice Rajiv Sahai Endlaw noted that Vishwas, in a letter submitted in the court today, has without any reservation, unequivocally withdrawn all the allegations levelled against the BJP leader. The court disposed of the suit in which Vishwas was the only one against whom the defamation suit remained after Arvind Kejriwal and four other AAP leaders -- Raghav Chadha, Sanjay Singh, Ashutosh and Deepak Bajpai-- had tendered unequivocal apology to Arun Jaitley in the Rs 10 crore defamation suit filed against them by the union minister. Vishwas, through his advocate Amit Yadav, tendered sincere apology to Jaitley and his family members for causing any harm to them. Senior advocate Rajiv Nayar and advocate Manik Dogra, who appeared for Jaitley, said they have accepted Vishwas's apology. The court said, "apology has been accepted by the plaintiff and this court and decree is passed in favour of Arun Jaitley and against Kumar Vishwas in terms of letter handed over today..." Vishwas had earlier told the court that before making any statement or apology to Jaitley, he wanted to know if Kejriwal lied when he said his allegations against the union minister were based on documents. The dissident AAP leader had told the court that he needed more time to decide what statement he will make so that the suit can be disposed of as he was personally not interested in taking the matter forward. Jaitley had lodged the Rs 10 crore defamation suit in December 2015 against Kejriwal and the five AAP leaders after they had alleged financial irregularities in the Delhi and District Cricket Association when the union minister was its president. The BJP leader had denied all the allegations.

Arun Jaitley accepts  Kumar Vishwas' apology in defamation case

Dissident Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Kumar Vishwas on Thursday told the Delhi High Court that his statements against Union minister Arun Jaitley were based on information received as a party worker from Arvind Kejriwal.

Vishwas, who was present in person in court, told Justice Rajiv Sahai Endlaw that before making any statement or apology to Jaitley, he wants to know if Kejriwal lied when he said his allegations against the Union Minister were based on documents.

The dissident AAP leader told the court that he needs more time to decide what statement he will make so that the suit can be disposed of as he was personally not interested in taking the matter forward.

Vishwas is now the only one against whom the defamation suit remains after Kejriwal and four other AAP leaders -- Raghav Chadha, Sanjay Singh, Ashutosh and Deepak Bajpai-- tendered unequivocal apology to Jaitley in the Rs 10 crore defamation suit filed against them by the union minister.

Taking note of his request, the court listed the matter for further hearing on May 28.&nbsp

Vishwas, who was present in person in court, told Justice Rajiv Sahai Endlaw that before making any statement or apology to Jaitley, he wants to know if Kejriwal lied when he said his allegations against the Union Minister were based on documents

Dissident Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Kumar Vishwas on Thursday told the Delhi High Court that his statements against Union minister Arun Jaitley were based on information received as a party worker from Arvind Kejriwal. Vishwas, who was present in person in court, told Justice Rajiv Sahai Endlaw that before making any statement or apology to Jaitley, he wants to know if Kejriwal lied when he said his allegations against the Union Minister were based on documents. The dissident AAP leader told the court that he needs more time to decide what statement he will make so that the suit can be disposed of as he was personally not interested in taking the matter forward. Vishwas is now the only one against whom the defamation suit remains after Kejriwal and four other AAP leaders -- Raghav Chadha, Sanjay Singh, Ashutosh and Deepak Bajpai-- tendered unequivocal apology to Jaitley in the Rs 10 crore defamation suit filed against them by the union minister. Taking note of his request, the court listed the matter for further hearing on May 28.

Vishwas tells High Court his statements against Jaitley based on Kejriwal's information

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After days of uncertainty, Indian Premier League matches to be held in Chennai has now been shifted to another venue due to the ongoing Cauvery protest. People are protesting against the Centre's negligence for the formation of Cauvery Management Board (CMB).

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/over-hundred-killed-in-a-military-plane-crash-in-algeria-129830">257 dead in Algeria military plane crash, says official</a>

An Algerian military plane crashed on Wednesday with around &nbsp;257 people, mostly military personnel, on board. A military source told media that there were no survivors.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/watch-us-senator-has-zuckerberg-have-a-taste-of-his-own-medicine-asks-for-personal-details--129860">US senator asks for personal details, Facebook's Zuckerberg won't give them</a>

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg's five-hour-long testimony before US lawmakers had him grilled to his core, but one question that had the Facebook chief foxed out of his wits was when Senator Richard J. Durbin asked him to share the details of his hotel stay from the previous night.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/aap-to-contest-rajasthan-assembly-polls-removes-kumar-vishwas-as-state-unit-incharge-129837">AAP removes Kumar Vishwas as Rajasthan in-charge, says will contest assembly polls</a>

Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party has removed Kumar Vishwas as party's Rajasthan unit in-charge. Deepak Bajpai will now take over Vishwas's office. Kumar Vishwas was appointed as Rajasthan unit's in-charge last year in May.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/entertainment-south-indian-film-casting-couch-telugu-actress-sri-reddy-says-producers-son-forced-her-to-have-sex-129867">Telugu actress Sri Reddy </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/entertainment-south-indian-film-casting-couch-telugu-actress-sri-reddy-says-producers-son-forced-her-to-have-sex-129867">strips,</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/entertainment-south-indian-film-casting-couch-telugu-actress-sri-reddy-says-producers-son-forced-her-to-have-sex-129867"> alleges Rana Daggubati's brother forced her to have sex with him</a>

Telugu actress Sri Reddy revealed last night, what could be the biggest casting couch scandal of South Indian cinema. Leaking intimate pictures of herself engaged with top South Indian film producer Abhiram Daggubati -- she claims that the latter forced her to perform sex with him in lieu of casting her in films.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

After Cauvery protests, all IPL matches shifted out of Chennai: Sources After days of uncertainty, Indian Premier League matches to be held in Chennai has now been shifted to another venue due to the ongoing Cauvery protest. People are protesting against the Centre's negligence for the formation of Cauvery Management Board (CMB). 257 dead in Algeria military plane crash, says official An Algerian military plane crashed on Wednesday with around 257 people, mostly military personnel, on board. A military source told media that there were no survivors. US senator asks for personal details, Facebook's Zuckerberg won't give them Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg's five-hour-long testimony before US lawmakers had him grilled to his core, but one question that had the Facebook chief foxed out of his wits was when Senator Richard J. Durbin asked him to share the details of his hotel stay from the previous night. AAP removes Kumar Vishwas as Rajasthan in-charge, says will contest assembly polls Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party has removed Kumar Vishwas as party's Rajasthan unit in-charge. Deepak Bajpai will now take over Vishwas's office. Kumar Vishwas was appointed as Rajasthan unit's in-charge last year in May. Telugu actress Sri Reddy strips, alleges Rana Daggubati's brother forced her to have sex with him Telugu actress Sri Reddy revealed last night, what could be the biggest casting couch scandal of South Indian cinema. Leaking intimate pictures of herself engaged with top South Indian film producer Abhiram Daggubati -- she claims that the latter forced her to perform sex with him in lieu of casting her in films.

News brief: Big stories of the day

Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party has removed Kumar Vishwas as party's Rajasthan unit in-charge. Deepak Bajpai will now take over Vishwas's office. Kumar Vishwas was appointed as Rajasthan unit's in-charge last year in May.

Vishwas's ties with AAP leadership has not been very cordial for the past one year. During many incidents, Vishwas has expressed dissent questioning party's leadership on a range of issues. Vishwas openly condemned Kejriwal's move to apologise to several political leaders in defamation cases.&nbsp;

Vishwas was recently snubbed by Kejriwal while deciding names for the Rajya Sabha from Delhi quota.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, the party announced its decision to contest the upcoming Rajasthan assembly elections. Party members alleged that Vishwas, reportedly, did not take much interest in affairs relating to Rajasthan assembly polls.&nbsp;

Senior AAP leader Ashutosh, at a press conference in New Delhi, shared that the party’s political affairs committee (PAC) met a couple of days ago to discuss the upcoming Rajasthan polls.&nbsp;

“The party decided to contest the Rajasthan Assembly elections with full strength.”

Ashutosh also noted that Kumar Vishwas was vested with the responsibility to look after party's affairs with respect to the Rajasthan assembly elections. "Due to some realities, he could not give as much time to it,” Ashutosh added.&nbsp;

Vishwas was recently snubbed by Kejriwal while deciding names for the Rajya Sabha from Delhi quota

Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party has removed Kumar Vishwas as party's Rajasthan unit in-charge. Deepak Bajpai will now take over Vishwas's office. Kumar Vishwas was appointed as Rajasthan unit's in-charge last year in May. Vishwas's ties with AAP leadership has not been very cordial for the past one year. During many incidents, Vishwas has expressed dissent questioning party's leadership on a range of issues. Vishwas openly condemned Kejriwal's move to apologise to several political leaders in defamation cases. Vishwas was recently snubbed by Kejriwal while deciding names for the Rajya Sabha from Delhi quota. Meanwhile, the party announced its decision to contest the upcoming Rajasthan assembly elections. Party members alleged that Vishwas, reportedly, did not take much interest in affairs relating to Rajasthan assembly polls. Senior AAP leader Ashutosh, at a press conference in New Delhi, shared that the party’s political affairs committee (PAC) met a couple of days ago to discuss the upcoming Rajasthan polls. “The party decided to contest the Rajasthan Assembly elections with full strength.” Ashutosh also noted that Kumar Vishwas was vested with the responsibility to look after party's affairs with respect to the Rajasthan assembly elections. "Due to some realities, he could not give as much time to it,” Ashutosh added.

AAP removes Kumar Vishwas as Rajasthan in-charge, says will contest assembly polls

Even as the Aam Admi Party(AAP) <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/known-kejriwal-for-12-years-cannot-imagine-him-taking-bribe-kumar-vishwas-15305">released its list of candidates</a> for Rajya Sabha, national executive member Kumar Vishwas took a dig at Kejriwal declaring he did not get any help from the Delhi chief minister.

The ruling party in<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/aap-slays-party-gremlins-kumar-vishwas-made-in-charge-of-rajasthan-15194"> Delhi announced three nominees </a>for the Rajya Sabha. Sanjay Singh, businessman Sushil Gupta and chartered accountant N.D. Gupta.

However, AAP leader Kumar Vishwas said the Delhi chief minister had told him that he did not even agree with himself.

&nbsp;&#39;In the form of punishment, I have been given an award for speaking the truth,&#39; Vishwas said.

&quot;I did not get any help,&quot;&nbsp;he said, adding,&quot;I did not get any help, I am not going to come back because of this.&quot;

Taking a swipe at the BJP, Vishwas said the main party will not be able to do any harm to the nation.

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WATCH?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WATCH</a>: Kumar Vishwas talks to the media after announcement of AAP&#39;s Rajya Sabha nominees, says, &#39;In the form of punishment, I have been given an award for speaking the truth.&#39; <a href="https://t.co/xGoxpKvXZg">pic.twitter.com/xGoxpKvXZg</a>
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Taking a swipe at the BJP, Vishwas said the main party will not be able to do any harm to the nation.

Even as the Aam Admi Party(AAP) released its list of candidates for Rajya Sabha, national executive member Kumar Vishwas took a dig at Kejriwal declaring he did not get any help from the Delhi chief minister. The ruling party in Delhi announced three nominees for the Rajya Sabha. Sanjay Singh, businessman Sushil Gupta and chartered accountant N.D. Gupta. However, AAP leader Kumar Vishwas said the Delhi chief minister had told him that he did not even agree with himself. 'In the form of punishment, I have been given an award for speaking the truth,' Vishwas said. "I did not get any help," he said, adding,"I did not get any help, I am not going to come back because of this." Taking a swipe at the BJP, Vishwas said the main party will not be able to do any harm to the nation. #WATCH: Kumar Vishwas talks to the media after announcement of AAP's Rajya Sabha nominees, says, 'In the form of punishment, I have been given an award for speaking the truth.' pic.twitter.com/xGoxpKvXZg — ANI (@ANI) January 3, 2018 ×

AAP announces Rajya Sabha candidates, Kumar Vishwas unhappy

Poet-turned-politician Kumar Vishwas of the Aam Admi Party finds himself in the midst of another controversy.&nbsp; Last week, social media was abuzz with his viral clip saying, &ldquo;There was no casteism earlier. One man came and started agitation for the reservation and altered our social fabric&rdquo;.

Since Kumar&rsquo;s reference to this &ldquo;man&rdquo; was ambiguous.&nbsp; It was construed to be a reference to&nbsp;Dr&nbsp;B. R. Ambedkar. Many of his followers took exception to this and criticised Vishwas. Without naming Kumar Vishwas,&nbsp;AAP&rsquo;s Ashutosh tweeted that any criticism of&nbsp;Dr&nbsp;Ambedkar is condemnable. Ashutosh&#39;s tweet further fueled suspicion that Kumar was indeed talking about Babasaheb.

This forced Kumar Vishwas to clarify his position on 3rd December that he did not in any way mean to demean Dalit&nbsp;uddharak&nbsp;Parampujya Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar, and the reference was to former Prime Minister V. P. Singh, particularly, his 1990 agitation for the Mandal Commission. He went on to add that vested interests within his party are creating this issue because he has asked the AAP to go back to its basics &mdash; hinting at internal party coterie who became active to eliminate him politically.

Casteism existed much before Mandal Commission

Kumar Vishwas&rsquo; clarification was bizarre. Let&rsquo;s &nbsp;assume for a moment that he didn&rsquo;t imply&nbsp;Dr&nbsp;Ambedkar. The bigger problem actually doesn&#39;t lie with his ambiguity. What he said originally in his Jaipur speech started with &nbsp;&mdash; &ldquo;Hamare Brahman&nbsp;bahul&nbsp;gaon me&nbsp;safai&nbsp;ka&nbsp;kaam&nbsp;karne&nbsp;wali Lakshmi amma mere&nbsp;dadi&nbsp;ke&nbsp;saath&nbsp;shadi&nbsp;hoke&nbsp;aayi&nbsp;thi. Woh&nbsp;meri&nbsp;ma ko&nbsp;aur&nbsp;meri&nbsp;chachi&nbsp;ko&nbsp;jara&nbsp;sa&nbsp;bhi&nbsp;ghoonghat&nbsp;niche&nbsp;reh&nbsp;jay&nbsp;sau&nbsp;galiyaa&nbsp;sunati&nbsp;thi&nbsp;aur koi problem&nbsp;nahi&nbsp;hoti&nbsp;thi&rdquo; (In my Brahmin-majority village, the women sweeper who came with my married Grandma used to scold her for not covering her head with saree, there was no issue that time, with lower caste criticising upper caste).

He continued that today any comment against another community will meet with violence. Firstly, to say that casteism did not exist earlier during his grandma&rsquo;s days is beyond absurd. For caste system has been dominating our social sphere for thousands of years, in the descending order of reverence and ascending the scale of contempt, as&nbsp;Dr&nbsp;Ambedkar had himself put it.

The Scheduled Castes and Tribes were outside the Varna system. But Kumar Vishwas seems to like that model. In his so-called Brahmin-majority village, where was the Scheduled Caste community located? Which caste traditionally did menial jobs and were denied human rights and dignity and which caste was revered just because of their birth in that caste?&nbsp;

Has&nbsp;Mr&nbsp;Vishwas heard of untouchability? If it did not exist, as per Vishwas, what was&nbsp;Dr&nbsp;Ambedkar&rsquo;s anti-untouchability fight for?

Mr&nbsp;Vishwas is clearly lying about the existence of caste system in the pre-Mandal era. And how does&nbsp;Mr&nbsp;Vishwas use his caste privilege? He proudly boasts of dropping his Brahmin surname Sharma since &ldquo;he doesn&rsquo;t believe in castism&rdquo; but he doesn&rsquo;t forget to routinely mention his &lsquo;Proud Brahmin Ancestry&rsquo; in his public appearances. For instance, while contesting in the Amethi Constituency against Rahul Gandhi in 2014, Kumar Vishwas said at a Public Rally &ldquo;I am a descendant of Chanakya and Chand Bardai, who defeated great empires. I left my job because I am a Brahmin and a Brahmin knows how to survive with begging.&rdquo;

Social commentator Vidya Bhushan Rawat says &ldquo;Kumar Vishwas uses all the Brahmanical narratives to build his case. The entire narrative and &lsquo;history&rsquo; that he speaks of is nothing but Sangh Parivar version of our history. Like them, he also narrates&nbsp;the mythologies in such &lsquo;courageous&rsquo; way that they look &lsquo;history&rsquo;.

Lakshmi, the sweeper who came as dowry along with Vishwas&rsquo; Grandma

The second and most objectionable element of Kumar Vishwas&rsquo;&nbsp;defence&nbsp;is the sweeper women who, as he recalls, used to &quot;scold his grandma&rdquo;. This&nbsp;safai&nbsp;ka&nbsp;kaam&nbsp;karne&nbsp;wali&nbsp;(cleaning lady) who came along with his Grandma as dowry was one of the most&nbsp;stigmatised&nbsp;social practice of that time. Along with dowry (cash, furniture, land, vehicle etc), there was a custom of bringing in a helper or sweeper of low caste as a dowry who used to work as a bonded labourer.

These would be mostly the people from Mehter (Scheduled Caste) community. How can a society where only people from particular caste alone do the cleaning for generations be called as a good society?&nbsp;

Former India Today (Hindi) Editor Dilip Mandal says &ldquo;How did Vishwas&rsquo; family get a Maharani in dowry? Did they consider her some kind of furniture? His irritation is that it is difficult to get SC women in dowry for cleaning anymore. How in the world is he calling the earlier era as a golden period?&rdquo;

For Mr Vishwas, the subjugation at the hands of Brahmins and Savarnas is acceptable but any assertion by lower caste is called caste-conflict? How insane!&nbsp;Mr&nbsp;Vishwas does not hesitate to use his caste privilege that he got from his generations but does not want second generation Dalit OBCs to get the facility of reservations.

V. P. Singh Did not fight for Reservation, He implemented it

Kumar Vishwas is probably unaware that V. P. Singh did not agitate for reservation. He actually implemented the Mandal Commission Report which was catching dust for years. It was&nbsp;Dr&nbsp;Ambedkar who made provision for reservation in the Constitution. Without the constitutional provisions done by him in the form of article 340, the OBC reservation would also have not been possible.

The timing of this controversy couldn&rsquo;t be more relevant. 27th November&nbsp;was the death anniversary of former Prime Minister V.P. Singh. This was around the same time that Kumar Vishwas video started getting viral. V. P. Singh was born in an upper caste royal family of Manda in Uttar Pradesh. But his incessant effort towards uplifting the Bahujan society was not just a talk. Along with implementing Mandal Commission, he ensured that portrait of Babasaheb was installed in the central hall of parliament. Imagine the bias, Architect of the Constitution did not even find a place in the central hall until 1990 where all other Savarna leaders thronged the wall.

Kumar Vishwas has&nbsp;harboured&nbsp;hatred towards former Prime Minister V. P. Singh for long. With Mandal commission and SC-ST provision, the Bahujan concept emerged and monopoly of only a few castes over everything was challenged. Today, classrooms in the highest educational institutions are most diverse, paving way for all-round development. But reservation is still cursed by the Savarnas, first by questioning the merit of the students getting admission and, lately, by questioning why only rich among the&nbsp;backwards&nbsp;was enjoying the benefits.

Many in Savarna leadership of AAP, including Arvind Kejriwal himself hold the view that reservation should be only to be taken once by a family. Is reservation poverty alleviation program? How naive is this logic? Does he even read the Constitution? Anna Hazare even went to the extent declaring reservation as the biggest threat to India and country may break apart. Really? Having a diverse workforce or classrooms breaks unity?

Those who use &ldquo;Economic Criteria&rdquo; to hide their hatred towards backward communities getting represented in some level, cannot fathom that those who used to come as dowry are now competing with them. And how much truth is there in the charge that those who have taken benefits are now rich? OBC reservation is actually only for non-creamy layers so there is no question of rich people &lsquo;grabbing&rsquo; it in the present context.

A pilot study done in 2011 had reiterated that Dalits were most underprivileged sections of the population and the easiest marker of poverty. This was 50 years after the policy of reservation came into effect, clearly indicating social status does impact the economic&nbsp;behaviour&nbsp;of the community.

Without this basic social understanding, V. P Singh, Constitution and&nbsp;Dr&nbsp;Ambedkar himself come across as villains to some. Reservation is nothing but affirmative actions and representation enshrined in our Constitution. There are many Savarnas like Kumar Vishwas in all walks of life who think reservation alone has divided the society and created resentment against those availing it.&nbsp;

When the kids themselves find first time in the college that somebody else has &lsquo;got the seat ahead of them despite getting lower marks&rsquo; it does not help. Common Savarna kids then start&nbsp;harbouring&nbsp;hatred of the system that &lsquo;create this inequality&rsquo; which in essence is actually a level playing field. Savarna dominated media&rsquo;s one-sided debate on reservation adds fuel to their fire. Now that a study has dismissed notion that reservation impacts efficiency, and if anything it only improves it, all we need is a compassionate and logical look towards the affirmative action policy and benefits of diversity.

Politicians like Vishwas cannot profess to rever Dr Ambedkar on one side but hate his idea of affirmative action on the other &mdash;especially when most of India&rsquo;s important areas, such as the judiciary, business houses, media, top bureaucracy, academia are still devoid of OBCs SC ST and minorities.

V. P Singh or reservation policy did not create casteism, it merely attempted to create an equal representation of our extremely biased society. Kumar Vishwas of the world should truly come out of not just their surname but their caste&nbsp;mould.

(Disclaimer: The author writes here in a personal capacity).

Politicians like Kumar Vishwas cannot profess to rever Dr Ambedkar on one side but hate his idea of affirmative action on the other, especially when most of India?s important areas are still devoid of OBCs SC ST and minorities.

Poet-turned-politician Kumar Vishwas of the Aam Admi Party finds himself in the midst of another controversy. Last week, social media was abuzz with his viral clip saying, “There was no casteism earlier. One man came and started agitation for the reservation and altered our social fabric”. Since Kumar’s reference to this “man” was ambiguous. It was construed to be a reference to Dr B. R. Ambedkar. Many of his followers took exception to this and criticised Vishwas. Without naming Kumar Vishwas, AAP’s Ashutosh tweeted that any criticism of Dr Ambedkar is condemnable. Ashutosh's tweet further fueled suspicion that Kumar was indeed talking about Babasaheb. This forced Kumar Vishwas to clarify his position on 3rd December that he did not in any way mean to demean Dalit uddharak Parampujya Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar, and the reference was to former Prime Minister V. P. Singh, particularly, his 1990 agitation for the Mandal Commission. He went on to add that vested interests within his party are creating this issue because he has asked the AAP to go back to its basics — hinting at internal party coterie who became active to eliminate him politically. Casteism existed much before Mandal Commission Kumar Vishwas’ clarification was bizarre. Let’s assume for a moment that he didn’t imply Dr Ambedkar. The bigger problem actually doesn't lie with his ambiguity. What he said originally in his Jaipur speech started with — “Hamare Brahman bahul gaon me safai ka kaam karne wali Lakshmi amma mere dadi ke saath shadi hoke aayi thi. Woh meri ma ko aur meri chachi ko jara sa bhi ghoonghat niche reh jay sau galiyaa sunati thi aur koi problem nahi hoti thi” (In my Brahmin-majority village, the women sweeper who came with my married Grandma used to scold her for not covering her head with saree, there was no issue that time, with lower caste criticising upper caste). He continued that today any comment against another community will meet with violence. Firstly, to say that casteism did not exist earlier during his grandma’s days is beyond absurd. For caste system has been dominating our social sphere for thousands of years, in the descending order of reverence and ascending the scale of contempt, as Dr Ambedkar had himself put it. The Scheduled Castes and Tribes were outside the Varna system. But Kumar Vishwas seems to like that model. In his so-called Brahmin-majority village, where was the Scheduled Caste community located? Which caste traditionally did menial jobs and were denied human rights and dignity and which caste was revered just because of their birth in that caste? Has Mr Vishwas heard of untouchability? If it did not exist, as per Vishwas, what was Dr Ambedkar’s anti-untouchability fight for? Mr Vishwas is clearly lying about the existence of caste system in the pre-Mandal era. And how does Mr Vishwas use his caste privilege? He proudly boasts of dropping his Brahmin surname Sharma since “he doesn’t believe in castism” but he doesn’t forget to routinely mention his ‘Proud Brahmin Ancestry’ in his public appearances. For instance, while contesting in the Amethi Constituency against Rahul Gandhi in 2014, Kumar Vishwas said at a Public Rally “I am a descendant of Chanakya and Chand Bardai, who defeated great empires. I left my job because I am a Brahmin and a Brahmin knows how to survive with begging.” Social commentator Vidya Bhushan Rawat says “Kumar Vishwas uses all the Brahmanical narratives to build his case. The entire narrative and ‘history’ that he speaks of is nothing but Sangh Parivar version of our history. Like them, he also narrates the mythologies in such ‘courageous’ way that they look ‘history’. Lakshmi, the sweeper who came as dowry along with Vishwas’ Grandma The second and most objectionable element of Kumar Vishwas’ defence is the sweeper women who, as he recalls, used to "scold his grandma”. This safai ka kaam karne wali (cleaning lady) who came along with his Grandma as dowry was one of the most stigmatised social practice of that time. Along with dowry (cash, furniture, land, vehicle etc), there was a custom of bringing in a helper or sweeper of low caste as a dowry who used to work as a bonded labourer. These would be mostly the people from Mehter (Scheduled Caste) community. How can a society where only people from particular caste alone do the cleaning for generations be called as a good society? Former India Today (Hindi) Editor Dilip Mandal says “How did Vishwas’ family get a Maharani in dowry? Did they consider her some kind of furniture? His irritation is that it is difficult to get SC women in dowry for cleaning anymore. How in the world is he calling the earlier era as a golden period?” For Mr Vishwas, the subjugation at the hands of Brahmins and Savarnas is acceptable but any assertion by lower caste is called caste-conflict? How insane! Mr Vishwas does not hesitate to use his caste privilege that he got from his generations but does not want second generation Dalit OBCs to get the facility of reservations. V. P. Singh Did not fight for Reservation, He implemented it Kumar Vishwas is probably unaware that V. P. Singh did not agitate for reservation. He actually implemented the Mandal Commission Report which was catching dust for years. It was Dr Ambedkar who made provision for reservation in the Constitution. Without the constitutional provisions done by him in the form of article 340, the OBC reservation would also have not been possible. The timing of this controversy couldn’t be more relevant. 27th November was the death anniversary of former Prime Minister V.P. Singh. This was around the same time that Kumar Vishwas video started getting viral. V. P. Singh was born in an upper caste royal family of Manda in Uttar Pradesh. But his incessant effort towards uplifting the Bahujan society was not just a talk. Along with implementing Mandal Commission, he ensured that portrait of Babasaheb was installed in the central hall of parliament. Imagine the bias, Architect of the Constitution did not even find a place in the central hall until 1990 where all other Savarna leaders thronged the wall. Kumar Vishwas has harboured hatred towards former Prime Minister V. P. Singh for long. With Mandal commission and SC-ST provision, the Bahujan concept emerged and monopoly of only a few castes over everything was challenged. Today, classrooms in the highest educational institutions are most diverse, paving way for all-round development. But reservation is still cursed by the Savarnas, first by questioning the merit of the students getting admission and, lately, by questioning why only rich among the backwards was enjoying the benefits. Many in Savarna leadership of AAP, including Arvind Kejriwal himself hold the view that reservation should be only to be taken once by a family. Is reservation poverty alleviation program? How naive is this logic? Does he even read the Constitution? Anna Hazare even went to the extent declaring reservation as the biggest threat to India and country may break apart. Really? Having a diverse workforce or classrooms breaks unity? Those who use “Economic Criteria” to hide their hatred towards backward communities getting represented in some level, cannot fathom that those who used to come as dowry are now competing with them. And how much truth is there in the charge that those who have taken benefits are now rich? OBC reservation is actually only for non-creamy layers so there is no question of rich people ‘grabbing’ it in the present context. A pilot study done in 2011 had reiterated that Dalits were most underprivileged sections of the population and the easiest marker of poverty. This was 50 years after the policy of reservation came into effect, clearly indicating social status does impact the economic behaviour of the community. Without this basic social understanding, V. P Singh, Constitution and Dr Ambedkar himself come across as villains to some. Reservation is nothing but affirmative actions and representation enshrined in our Constitution. There are many Savarnas like Kumar Vishwas in all walks of life who think reservation alone has divided the society and created resentment against those availing it. When the kids themselves find first time in the college that somebody else has ‘got the seat ahead of them despite getting lower marks’ it does not help. Common Savarna kids then start harbouring hatred of the system that ‘create this inequality’ which in essence is actually a level playing field. Savarna dominated media’s one-sided debate on reservation adds fuel to their fire. Now that a study has dismissed notion that reservation impacts efficiency, and if anything it only improves it, all we need is a compassionate and logical look towards the affirmative action policy and benefits of diversity. Politicians like Vishwas cannot profess to rever Dr Ambedkar on one side but hate his idea of affirmative action on the other —especially when most of India’s important areas, such as the judiciary, business houses, media, top bureaucracy, academia are still devoid of OBCs SC ST and minorities. V. P Singh or reservation policy did not create casteism, it merely attempted to create an equal representation of our extremely biased society. Kumar Vishwas of the world should truly come out of not just their surname but their caste mould. (Disclaimer: The author writes here in a personal capacity).

Opinion: Why caste-based reservation is anathema to many

Dismissing media reports that the AAP was holding talks with them for their return to the party absurd, Swaraj India founders Prashant Bhushan and Yogendra Yadav on Monday said there was no such possibility.

Bhushan retweeted a media report that quoted Aam Aadmi Party leader Kumar Vishwas as saying so and dubbed it as &quot;absurd&quot;.

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An absurd report. There are no talks or possibility of our returning to AAP which has betrayed all the ideals of the Anti Corruption movement <a href="https://t.co/dFWxdAYU7v">https://t.co/dFWxdAYU7v</a>
&mdash; Prashant Bhushan (@pbhushan1) <a href="https://twitter.com/pbhushan1/status/937574939313369089?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 4, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Kumar Vishwas on Sunday expressed displeasure over the AAP&#39;s functioning and said the party needed to go back to the basics.

He said the party workers were in talks with many of their colleagues who had since left the AAP, including Prashant Bhushan and Yogendra Yadav, and apologised for any wrongs done by the party.

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Really? 
Must be very secret, since both of us have not heard about it! 
 
<a href="https://t.co/Nbdb6oNN3q">https://t.co/Nbdb6oNN3q</a>
&mdash; Yogendra Yadav (@_YogendraYadav) <a href="https://twitter.com/_YogendraYadav/status/937571807061667840?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 4, 2017</a></blockquote>
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&quot;There are no talks or possibility of our returning to AAP, which has betrayed all the ideals of the anti-corruption movement,&quot; Bhushan tweeted.

Yadav took to Twitter and said he was &quot;surprised&quot; on reading what Vishwas had said a day before.

&quot;Really? Must be very secret, since both of us have not heard about it! In my knowledge, there is no possibility of this happening,&quot; he said in a series of tweets.

 
Yadav and Bhushan were sacked from the AAP in March 2015 for alleged anti-party activities. They had hit out at AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal over his &quot;supremo style of functioning&quot; and lack of transparency in the party.

In October 2016, the two launched a new political outfit Swaraj India.

Bhushan retweeted a media report that quoted Aam Aadmi Party leader Kumar Vishwas as saying so and dubbed it as "absurd".

Dismissing media reports that the AAP was holding talks with them for their return to the party absurd, Swaraj India founders Prashant Bhushan and Yogendra Yadav on Monday said there was no such possibility. Bhushan retweeted a media report that quoted Aam Aadmi Party leader Kumar Vishwas as saying so and dubbed it as "absurd". An absurd report. There are no talks or possibility of our returning to AAP which has betrayed all the ideals of the Anti Corruption movement https://t.co/dFWxdAYU7v — Prashant Bhushan (@pbhushan1) December 4, 2017 × Kumar Vishwas on Sunday expressed displeasure over the AAP's functioning and said the party needed to go back to the basics. He said the party workers were in talks with many of their colleagues who had since left the AAP, including Prashant Bhushan and Yogendra Yadav, and apologised for any wrongs done by the party. Really? Must be very secret, since both of us have not heard about it! https://t.co/Nbdb6oNN3q — Yogendra Yadav (@_YogendraYadav) December 4, 2017 × "There are no talks or possibility of our returning to AAP, which has betrayed all the ideals of the anti-corruption movement," Bhushan tweeted. Yadav took to Twitter and said he was "surprised" on reading what Vishwas had said a day before. "Really? Must be very secret, since both of us have not heard about it! In my knowledge, there is no possibility of this happening," he said in a series of tweets. Yadav and Bhushan were sacked from the AAP in March 2015 for alleged anti-party activities. They had hit out at AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal over his "supremo style of functioning" and lack of transparency in the party. In October 2016, the two launched a new political outfit Swaraj India.

Prashant Bhushan, Yogendra Yadav rule out AAP return

Bollywood star Amitabh Bachchan has accused AAP leader Kumar Vishwas of alleged copyright infringement for his use of a poem by his late father&nbsp;poet Harivansh Rai Bachchan.

Amitabh Bachchan in his tweet said,&quot;This is a copyright infringement. Legal will take care of this.&quot; The Bollywood star also asked Kumar Vishwas to remove the YouTube video of the poem.

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this is a copyright infringement .. ! legal will take care of this
&mdash; Amitabh Bachchan (@SrBachchan) <a href="https://twitter.com/SrBachchan/status/884133339782762496">July 9, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Amitabh Bachchan also sent a legal notice to Vishwas ordering him to delete the YouTube video within 24 hours. He also demanded an account of the revenue generated through &quot;exploitation of the poem&quot;.&nbsp;

Kumar Vishwas in his tweet shot back saying,&quot;sending earned Rs 32 as demanded&quot;.&nbsp;

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Rcvd appreciation frm all poet&#39;s family but Notice frm you Sir.Deleting the Tribute video to Babuji.Sending earned Rs 32 as demanded.Pranam?? <a href="https://t.co/wzq22TZnzf">https://t.co/wzq22TZnzf</a>
&mdash; Dr Kumar Vishvas (@DrKumarVishwas) <a href="https://twitter.com/DrKumarVishwas/status/885118168171069440">July 12, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Kumar has refused to take down the video which is placed on his Twitter handle.&nbsp;

 
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/eYDFOQ9fz4g" width="560"></iframe>

&nbsp;

Bollywood star Amitabh Bachchan has accused AAP leader Kumar Vishwas of copyright infringement for his alleged use of a poem by his late father

Bollywood star Amitabh Bachchan has accused AAP leader Kumar Vishwas of alleged copyright infringement for his use of a poem by his late father poet Harivansh Rai Bachchan. Amitabh Bachchan in his tweet said,"This is a copyright infringement. Legal will take care of this." The Bollywood star also asked Kumar Vishwas to remove the YouTube video of the poem. this is a copyright infringement .. ! legal will take care of this — Amitabh Bachchan (@SrBachchan) July 9, 2017 × Amitabh Bachchan also sent a legal notice to Vishwas ordering him to delete the YouTube video within 24 hours. He also demanded an account of the revenue generated through "exploitation of the poem". Kumar Vishwas in his tweet shot back saying,"sending earned Rs 32 as demanded". Rcvd appreciation frm all poet's family but Notice frm you Sir.Deleting the Tribute video to Babuji.Sending earned Rs 32 as demanded.Pranam?? https://t.co/wzq22TZnzf — Dr Kumar Vishvas (@DrKumarVishwas) July 12, 2017 × Kumar has refused to take down the video which is placed on his Twitter handle.

Amitabh Bachchan accuses AAP leader Kumar Vishwas of 'copyright infringement'

The AAP crisis deepened further on Saturday&nbsp;&nbsp;with its leader Kumar Vishwas hitting out at its &quot;palace politics&quot;, even as posters came up outside its headquarters dubbing him a &quot;friend of the BJP&quot; and a &quot;traitor&quot;. 
 
Vishwas, who was recently appointed the party&#39;s Rajasthan affairs in-charge, made a pointed remark that he would ensure the workers under him adhered to the Aam Aadmi Party&#39;s (AAP) &quot;core principles&quot; and went back to its &quot;basics&quot;. 
 
He briefly attended a farmers&#39; convention organised by the party at the Constitution Club here, where the body language of the leaders was reflective of the internal dissidence. 
 
&quot;We (AAP) did not come into being for these conspiracies and palace politics hatched by five-six people. We are for the causes based on which the party was born at the Ramlila Maidan. The party will fight the Rajasthan polls on its real principles,&quot; Vishwas told reporters on the sidelines of the event. 
 
Earlier, he had held a &quot;coterie&quot; around Delhi Chief Minister and AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal &quot;responsible&quot; for the party&#39;s recent poll debacles, while distancing himself from the official party line of &quot;manipulation&quot; of electronic voting machines (EVMs). 
 
Drawing on characters from the Ramayana, the poet- turned-politician said that during every churning, &quot;demons&quot; did show up. 
 
Meanwhile, posters terming Vishwas as a &quot;friend of the BJP&quot; and a &quot;betrayer&quot; who should be &quot;thrown out&quot; of the party came up outside the AAP headquarters in central Delhi. 
 
&quot;A friend of the BJP, he is not a poet but a traitor. He attacks while in hiding and backstabs. Remove such a traitor,&quot; read the posters, which also &quot;thanked&quot; former AAP Delhi convenor Dilip Pandey for &quot;exposing&quot; Vishwas. 
 
Pandey had recently accused Vishwas of being &quot;silent&quot; on the &quot;transgressions&quot; of the BJP. 
 
However, the party distanced itself from the posters. 
 
&quot;A few suspended workers are trying to divide the party leadership by putting up such posters,&quot; AAP&#39;s social media in-charge Ankit Lal wrote on Twitter. 
 
(PTI)

Kumar Vishwas had earlier blamed a coterie around Delhi Chief Minister and AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal for the party's recent poll debacles

The AAP crisis deepened further on Saturday with its leader Kumar Vishwas hitting out at its "palace politics", even as posters came up outside its headquarters dubbing him a "friend of the BJP" and a "traitor". Vishwas, who was recently appointed the party's Rajasthan affairs in-charge, made a pointed remark that he would ensure the workers under him adhered to the Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP) "core principles" and went back to its "basics". He briefly attended a farmers' convention organised by the party at the Constitution Club here, where the body language of the leaders was reflective of the internal dissidence. "We (AAP) did not come into being for these conspiracies and palace politics hatched by five-six people. We are for the causes based on which the party was born at the Ramlila Maidan. The party will fight the Rajasthan polls on its real principles," Vishwas told reporters on the sidelines of the event. Earlier, he had held a "coterie" around Delhi Chief Minister and AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal "responsible" for the party's recent poll debacles, while distancing himself from the official party line of "manipulation" of electronic voting machines (EVMs). Drawing on characters from the Ramayana, the poet- turned-politician said that during every churning, "demons" did show up. Meanwhile, posters terming Vishwas as a "friend of the BJP" and a "betrayer" who should be "thrown out" of the party came up outside the AAP headquarters in central Delhi. "A friend of the BJP, he is not a poet but a traitor. He attacks while in hiding and backstabs. Remove such a traitor," read the posters, which also "thanked" former AAP Delhi convenor Dilip Pandey for "exposing" Vishwas. Pandey had recently accused Vishwas of being "silent" on the "transgressions" of the BJP. However, the party distanced itself from the posters. "A few suspended workers are trying to divide the party leadership by putting up such posters," AAP's social media in-charge Ankit Lal wrote on Twitter. (PTI)

After posters calling him traitor, Kumar Vishwas hits out at 'palace politics' in AAP

Senior AAP leader Kumar Vishwas Sunday came out in support of Arvind Kejriwal, saying he has known him for 12 years and even his enemies cannot imagine him taking a bribe.

His remarks came hours after Kapil Mishra, who was yesterday sacked as Delhi water minister, alleged that he saw Delhi Health Minister Satyendra&nbsp;Jain giving Kejriwal Rs 2 crore.

&quot;We can disagree, fight or be disappointed with each other ... I know Arvind for 12 years and I can say that I cannot imagine him taking a bribe or being corrupt ... Even his enemies cannot imagine this,&quot; he told reporters.

&quot;Kejriwal has said this 100 times that he should be removed if he is corrupt. I have called Satyendra Jain and asked him to explain his position in the PAC (Political Affairs Committee) ... Whether he is being framed or has there been a mistake, we are ready for an investigation ... Be it an ED&nbsp;(Enforcement Directorate) or a CBI probe,&quot; Vishwas said.

He told reporters that the AAP&#39;s Political Affairs Committee will meet either in the evening or tomorrow.

&quot;I feel sad about the allegations. Be it about the party&#39;s internal talk, discrepancies in ticket distribution, loopholes in political agenda but it is wrong to level such allegations publicly,&quot; he said.

Mishra is considered close to Vishwas, who had recently threatened to quit the party. The former Delhi water minister had extended support to Vishwas when he had clashed with the party leadership.

Earlier in the day, Mishra said he gave a statement to Lt Governor Anil Baijal on &quot;various irregularities he witnessed during his two-year stint as a minister in the Kejriwal government&quot;.&nbsp; 
 
(PTI)

 
&nbsp;

AAP leader Kumar Vishwas said even Arvind Kejriwal's enemies could not imagine him taking a bribe

Senior AAP leader Kumar Vishwas Sunday came out in support of Arvind Kejriwal, saying he has known him for 12 years and even his enemies cannot imagine him taking a bribe. His remarks came hours after Kapil Mishra, who was yesterday sacked as Delhi water minister, alleged that he saw Delhi Health Minister Satyendra Jain giving Kejriwal Rs 2 crore. "We can disagree, fight or be disappointed with each other ... I know Arvind for 12 years and I can say that I cannot imagine him taking a bribe or being corrupt ... Even his enemies cannot imagine this," he told reporters. "Kejriwal has said this 100 times that he should be removed if he is corrupt. I have called Satyendra Jain and asked him to explain his position in the PAC (Political Affairs Committee) ... Whether he is being framed or has there been a mistake, we are ready for an investigation ... Be it an ED (Enforcement Directorate) or a CBI probe," Vishwas said. He told reporters that the AAP's Political Affairs Committee will meet either in the evening or tomorrow. "I feel sad about the allegations. Be it about the party's internal talk, discrepancies in ticket distribution, loopholes in political agenda but it is wrong to level such allegations publicly," he said. Mishra is considered close to Vishwas, who had recently threatened to quit the party. The former Delhi water minister had extended support to Vishwas when he had clashed with the party leadership. Earlier in the day, Mishra said he gave a statement to Lt Governor Anil Baijal on "various irregularities he witnessed during his two-year stint as a minister in the Kejriwal government". (PTI)

Known Kejriwal for 12 years, cannot imagine him taking bribe: Kumar Vishwas

With the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) facing a rift, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia are making efforts to convince co-founder member Kumar Vishwas, who had hinted at breaking up from the party here.

&quot;Kumar Vishwas is an integral part of our movement. He has some grudges and I am sure we will convince him,&quot; Kejriwal said after a late night meeting on Tuesday.

The Delhi Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister went to Vishwas&#39; residence in Ghaziabad to hold talks with him.

Earlier on Tuesday,&nbsp;Vishwas accused the AAP leaders of conspiring against him.

&quot;The things Amanatullah has said about me, if he had said the same for Arvind Kejriwal or Manish Sisodia, he would have been thrown out of the party in 10 minutes. But he had said such thing so many times, yet he wasn&#39;t ousted,&quot; Vishwas told the media here.

&quot;Amanatullah is just a mask; someone else is speaking behind his mask. I would appeal to them to not go against me as I had once put up posters for AAP and defended them,&quot; he added.

He said that he will not compromise with his principles and soon take a call on his future action.

&quot;Will not keep silent on the mistakes of the AAP party,&quot; said Vishwas, adding, &quot;I&#39;m not interested in becoming the Chief Minister ever&quot;.

He clarified that he will not join any political party.

Earlier, AAP leader Amanatullah Khan had asserted that Vishwas was &#39;planted by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS)&#39;.

Amanatullah yesterday resigned from the party&#39;s Political Affairs Committee (PAC) following a high-end meeting of the party members with Kumar Vishwas conspicuously absent. 
 
(ANI)

After a late night meeting with Kumar Vishwas, Kejriwal said he was sure the party would be able to convince the disgruntled leader

With the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) facing a rift, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia are making efforts to convince co-founder member Kumar Vishwas, who had hinted at breaking up from the party here. "Kumar Vishwas is an integral part of our movement. He has some grudges and I am sure we will convince him," Kejriwal said after a late night meeting on Tuesday. The Delhi Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister went to Vishwas' residence in Ghaziabad to hold talks with him. Earlier on Tuesday, Vishwas accused the AAP leaders of conspiring against him. "The things Amanatullah has said about me, if he had said the same for Arvind Kejriwal or Manish Sisodia, he would have been thrown out of the party in 10 minutes. But he had said such thing so many times, yet he wasn't ousted," Vishwas told the media here. "Amanatullah is just a mask; someone else is speaking behind his mask. I would appeal to them to not go against me as I had once put up posters for AAP and defended them," he added. He said that he will not compromise with his principles and soon take a call on his future action. "Will not keep silent on the mistakes of the AAP party," said Vishwas, adding, "I'm not interested in becoming the Chief Minister ever". He clarified that he will not join any political party. Earlier, AAP leader Amanatullah Khan had asserted that Vishwas was 'planted by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS)'. Amanatullah yesterday resigned from the party's Political Affairs Committee (PAC) following a high-end meeting of the party members with Kumar Vishwas conspicuously absent. (ANI)

Arvind Kejriwal plays peacemaker as Kumar Vishwas threatens to quit over 'coterie' against him

The crisis in the political party that governs India&#39;s Delhi NCT may have been averted after one of their aggrieved senior party members was made in-charge of northern Rajasthan state on Wednesday.

The mutiny within the party has also been put to rest after one of their local lawmakers who allegedly tried to spread canards has been suspended.

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has also set up a disciplinary committee to probe comments made by the suspended lawmaker.

AAP shows confidence in Kumar Vishwas

Earlier in the day, senior party member Kumar Vishwas had threatened to quit the party after Okhla lawmaker&nbsp;Amanatullah Khan had accused him of being an agent of Narendra Modi&#39;s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Stung by the allegations and the recent poll drubbings the party received in Punjab and Delhi, Vishwas felt that the party needed to introspect instead of complaining of voting irregularities.

AAP&#39;s national convenor Arvind Kejriwal and other leaders have primarily blamed faulty voting machines for their recent reverses. They claim that the voting machines were rigged by Modi&#39;s BJP to their advantage in the recent elections.

But Vishwas&#39; comment about the need to introspect prompted the Okhla lawmaker &nbsp;to say he was a &quot;BJP agent&quot;.

But a three-hour emergency meeting with party head Kejriwal and other senior leaders has subdued the gremlins in Vishwas&#39; head. The party leader had met Vishwas last night to dispel any grudges the latter had.

The Aam Aadmi Party&nbsp;announced that Vishwas would be given more responsibilities.

Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia told reporters: &quot;He (Vishwas) will be Rajasthan&rsquo;s party in-charge as the state goes to polls next year.&quot;

The announcement is also likely to boost Vishwas&#39;political career, especially after he was relatively marginalised in the recently-concluded regional elections in India.

Indian television channel News18 reported that Vishwas urged the party to fight corruption, erase all differences within the party and galvanise the footsoldiers across the country.

Okhla MP rapped

Khan, the Okhla lawmaker, was suspended on Wednesday, and his seemingly inflammatory statement will be probed by the party committee.

Incidentally, Khan had resigned from the party&#39;s Political Affairs Committee (PAC).

Vishwas had also decried that people close to Kejriwal were deliberately trying to undermine his influence in the party.

The Okhla lawmaker had also accused Vishwas of plotting a coup to upstage Kejriwal as the party chief.

But Vishwas categorically denied harbouring any such intentions.&nbsp;He accused Khan of being a &quot;mask&quot; and acting at the behest of a &quot;coterie&quot; surrounding Kejriwal.

(WION with inputs from PTI)

&nbsp;

The Aam Aadmi Party also suspended a lawmaker for allegedly spreading canards in the party

The crisis in the political party that governs India's Delhi NCT may have been averted after one of their aggrieved senior party members was made in-charge of northern Rajasthan state on Wednesday. The mutiny within the party has also been put to rest after one of their local lawmakers who allegedly tried to spread canards has been suspended. Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has also set up a disciplinary committee to probe comments made by the suspended lawmaker. AAP shows confidence in Kumar Vishwas Earlier in the day, senior party member Kumar Vishwas had threatened to quit the party after Okhla lawmaker Amanatullah Khan had accused him of being an agent of Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Stung by the allegations and the recent poll drubbings the party received in Punjab and Delhi, Vishwas felt that the party needed to introspect instead of complaining of voting irregularities. AAP's national convenor Arvind Kejriwal and other leaders have primarily blamed faulty voting machines for their recent reverses. They claim that the voting machines were rigged by Modi's BJP to their advantage in the recent elections. But Vishwas' comment about the need to introspect prompted the Okhla lawmaker to say he was a "BJP agent". But a three-hour emergency meeting with party head Kejriwal and other senior leaders has subdued the gremlins in Vishwas' head. The party leader had met Vishwas last night to dispel any grudges the latter had. The Aam Aadmi Party announced that Vishwas would be given more responsibilities. Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia told reporters: "He (Vishwas) will be Rajasthan’s party in-charge as the state goes to polls next year." The announcement is also likely to boost Vishwas'political career, especially after he was relatively marginalised in the recently-concluded regional elections in India. Indian television channel News18 reported that Vishwas urged the party to fight corruption, erase all differences within the party and galvanise the footsoldiers across the country. Okhla MP rapped Khan, the Okhla lawmaker, was suspended on Wednesday, and his seemingly inflammatory statement will be probed by the party committee. Incidentally, Khan had resigned from the party's Political Affairs Committee (PAC). Vishwas had also decried that people close to Kejriwal were deliberately trying to undermine his influence in the party. The Okhla lawmaker had also accused Vishwas of plotting a coup to upstage Kejriwal as the party chief. But Vishwas categorically denied harbouring any such intentions. He accused Khan of being a "mask" and acting at the behest of a "coterie" surrounding Kejriwal. (WION with inputs from PTI)

AAP slays party gremlins: Kumar Vishwas made in-charge of Rajasthan

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal Sunday&nbsp;sought to send a stern message to partymen after some of them criticised senior AAP leader Kumar Vishwas as he had pointed to reasons other than the leadership&#39;s claim of tampering of EVMs for the party&#39;s recent poll defeats. 
 
Party chief Kejriwal warned them against trying to create a rift between him and his &quot;younger brother&quot; Vishwas, after AAP&#39;s Okhla MLA Amanatullah Khan alleged earlier today that Vishwas was trying to &quot;usurp&quot; the Aam Aadmi Party and that he harbours ambitions of leading the party. 
 
On Friday, contrary to the party line that EVM rigging was behind AAP&#39;s loss in the Punjab Assembly and MCD polls, Vishwas had pointed to reasons other than alleged tampering of electronic voting machines and said there is a communication gap between the top brass and volunteers. 
 
He said AAP was getting &quot;Congressised&quot; to an extent. 
 
Amanatullah Khan, a member of the party&#39;s Political Affairs Committee (PAC), its apex decision-making body, also claimed that poet-turned-politician Vishwas has been calling MLAs to his residence and coaxing them to rebel against Kejriwal or to join the BJP. 
 
&quot;Kumar Vishwas is trying to usurp the AAP and break the AAP. He is calling MLAs to his residence and saying that he should be made the party convener. Or else, they (MLAs) can join the BJP, which is ready to pay Rs 30 crore to each MLA. This is what (Swaraj India President and expelled AAP leader) Yogendra Yadav also wants. 
 
&quot;I think this is happening at the behest of the BJP. It has deployed four MLAs to take AAP legislators to Kumar Vishwas&#39; house. This has been confirmed by at least 10 party MLAs,&quot; Khan said in a message circulated to the media. 
&quot;Yesterday, a minister also convened a meeting of four MLAs,&quot; he added. 
 
When contacted Khan did not elaborate on the message and said he will &quot;spill the beans&quot; at an appropriate time. 
The message, however, did not go down well with Kejriwal who wrote on Twitter that&nbsp;some people were trying to create a rift between him and Vishwas. 
 
&quot;Kumar is my younger brother. Some people are trying to create a rift between us. Such people are enemies of the party. They should mend their ways. Nobody&nbsp;can separate us,&quot; the AAP chief wrote on Twitter.

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????? ???? ???? ??? ??? ??? ??? ????? ??? ???? ???? ??? ???,??? ??? ?????? ?? ?????? ??? !?? ???? ????? ???? ??? ??? ???? ?? ????
&mdash; Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) <a href="https://twitter.com/ArvindKejriwal/status/858655214517141504">April 30, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Arvind Kejriwal warned partymen of trying to create a rift between him and 'younger brother' Kumar Vishwas

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal Sunday sought to send a stern message to partymen after some of them criticised senior AAP leader Kumar Vishwas as he had pointed to reasons other than the leadership's claim of tampering of EVMs for the party's recent poll defeats. Party chief Kejriwal warned them against trying to create a rift between him and his "younger brother" Vishwas, after AAP's Okhla MLA Amanatullah Khan alleged earlier today that Vishwas was trying to "usurp" the Aam Aadmi Party and that he harbours ambitions of leading the party. On Friday, contrary to the party line that EVM rigging was behind AAP's loss in the Punjab Assembly and MCD polls, Vishwas had pointed to reasons other than alleged tampering of electronic voting machines and said there is a communication gap between the top brass and volunteers. He said AAP was getting "Congressised" to an extent. Amanatullah Khan, a member of the party's Political Affairs Committee (PAC), its apex decision-making body, also claimed that poet-turned-politician Vishwas has been calling MLAs to his residence and coaxing them to rebel against Kejriwal or to join the BJP. "Kumar Vishwas is trying to usurp the AAP and break the AAP. He is calling MLAs to his residence and saying that he should be made the party convener. Or else, they (MLAs) can join the BJP, which is ready to pay Rs 30 crore to each MLA. This is what (Swaraj India President and expelled AAP leader) Yogendra Yadav also wants. "I think this is happening at the behest of the BJP. It has deployed four MLAs to take AAP legislators to Kumar Vishwas' house. This has been confirmed by at least 10 party MLAs," Khan said in a message circulated to the media. "Yesterday, a minister also convened a meeting of four MLAs," he added. When contacted Khan did not elaborate on the message and said he will "spill the beans" at an appropriate time. The message, however, did not go down well with Kejriwal who wrote on Twitter that some people were trying to create a rift between him and Vishwas. "Kumar is my younger brother. Some people are trying to create a rift between us. Such people are enemies of the party. They should mend their ways. Nobody can separate us," the AAP chief wrote on Twitter. ????? ???? ???? ??? ??? ??? ??? ????? ??? ???? ???? ??? ???,??? ??? ?????? ?? ?????? ??? !?? ???? ????? ???? ??? ??? ???? ?? ???? — Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) April 30, 2017 ×

Arvind Kejriwal refutes allegations of Kumar Vishwas instigating rebellion within AAP

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