AAP MLA criticises Ashutosh over Sandeep Kumar's sacking

NEW DELHI: The controversy involving Sandeep Kumar further rankled the AAP today as a party MLA shot off a letter to Arvind Kejriwal, criticising party leader Ashutosh's stand and alleged that a "coterie" was damaging the party. Bijwasan MLA Devinder Sehrawat, who had earlier spoken out against the manner in which AAP had sacked Prashant Bhushan and Yogendra Yadav, said the situation is getting indefensible and disgraceful and action needs to be taken to remove "rotten elements". He said "justifications" put forth by Ashutosh for Kumar's conduct were not "as per the acceptable value systems". Kumar was arrested last night on rape and other charges hours after he surrendered before police following a complaint by a woman, who purportedly figured in an "objectionable" CD with him. He was also suspended from the party. Sehrawat also hit out at AAP's Delhi unit convener Dilip Pandey, questining his conduct and said there were disturbing reports from Punjab. "Now the situation is getting indefensible and disgraceful. Action needs to be taken to remove rotten elements. Justifications put forward by Ashutosh are not as per the acceptable value systems," he wrote to the Delhi Chief Minister, who is also the party chief. "I saw disturbing reports about women being exploited in Punjab in return of or promise of tickets. I am meeting people in Chandigarh to check the position on ground.. "Dilip Pandey is doing same in Delhi...," Sehrawat said. He alleged a coterie is damaging the party. Asked who he was referring to, he named Ashutosh, party Punjab unit in-charge Sanjay Singh and Dilip Pandey. He signed off the letter to Kejriwal saying that he should let the people know that "we still believe that we will change politics". Ashutosh in a blog had referred to the reported relationships of Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru with women to defend Kumar over the "objectionable" CD and claimed that he was sacked as a minister for "perception management".