AAP expels Mankotia for ‘anti-party’ activities

Jammu, September 23

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Friday expelled former MLA Balwant Singh Mankotia allegedly for defaming the party and influencing the workers to join “other parties”.

Before his association with AAP, Mankotia was president of the J&K National Panthers Party (JKNPP). In April this year, he had joined AAP at an event in Delhi.

Allegations

• AAP has accused Mankotia of not participating in any party activity for three months.
• He has also been accused of engaging with other political parties. He has rubbished the allegations.

A termination letter issued by AAP stated, “It has come to our knowledge that you are involved in anti-party activities, mainly engaging with other national and regional political parties in J&K, not engaging or participating in any of the party’s political activities and not performing any task given by the party for the last three months.”

The letter further accused Mankotia of influencing AAP volunteers to join other parties and offering them positions in other parties and also defaming the party.

‘Control of Outsiders’

I was never a primary member of AAP as I didn’t sign any document after joining it. Outsiders are controlling the J&K unit of AAP. —Balwant Singh Mankotia, Ex-MLA

“Your basic membership with AAP stands terminated from September 23,” AAP election in-charge Harjot Singh Bains said in a letter to Mankotia.

Meanwhile, Mankotia said “outsiders” were controlling the J&K unit of AAP and would be taught a lesson in the Assembly elections. “Moreover, I was never a primary member of the party as no document was ever signed by me even after joining the party in Delhi in April,” he said, adding that after witnessing the activities of the party, he “remained silent and had not been an active member” of any of the AAP events.

According to the former MLA, he earlier felt that AAP would be good for J&K but soon realised that this was not the case.

He also rubbished the allegations about his involvement in any anti-party activity. “All the allegations against me are lies,” he said.

Mankotia represented Udhampur in the Legislative Assembly from 2002 to 2014. He joined AAP along with ex-MLA Yash Paul Kundal and over 100 other J&K leaders in the presence of Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and Environment Minister Gopal Rai on April 8.