Expelled AAP MLA Binny ends strike in 5 hours, warns of major stir

Expelled Aam Aadmi Party Member of Legislative Assembly Vinod Kumar Binny on Monday sat on a dharna against the Arvind Kejriwal government a day after he was thrown out of the party but abruptly withdrew the protest after barely four hours, threatening to launch a major agitation if his demands including passage of Jan Lokpal Bill are not met within the next 10 days.

The 39-year-old MLA said he will continue to support the AAP government on "public-related" issues despite being expelled from the party and decided to end his stir for now as Lt Governor Najeeb Jung and Anna Hazare had suggested that "some days" should be given to the new dispensation to fulfill its promises.

"If the Kejriwal government fails to bring Anna's Jan Lokpal Bill in the given time, I would begin a protest across the country," Binny told reporters at Jantar Mantar.

In the morning the Laxmi Nagar MLA had met Lt Governor Najeeb Jung and demanded action against controversial Law Minister Somnath Bharti for his alleged role in the South Delhi rape episode.

"Action must be taken against Bharti. The law minister assaulted and misbehaved with African women during the midnight raid. The LG has assured me that the law is equal for everyone and let law take its course," Binny said after meeting the LG.

The MLA, who was expelled from the party on the night of Sunday for publicly making "false statements" against the party and its leadership, said he would not withdraw support from the government. "I am giving support to the government on issues related to public."

Accusing the Delhi government of mocking constitutional bodies like the women's commission, Binny said the AAP wants that its government falls, as they now want to save themselves from all those "false promises" which they had made.

"But I will not let them run away," Binny said, adding he has not received any letter from the AAP and got to know about his expulsion only from the media.

Lashing out at the AAP government, he said, "The party which was formed to fight corruption and had called Sheila Dikshit and other leaders corrupt has not initiated any probe against them."

On his expulsion from the party, Binny said Kejriwal should have held a referendum before taking action against him.

"Kejriwal should have held a referendum to take a decision on me. He should have organised a public meeting in my constituency (Laxmi Nagar) before arriving at any conclusion. After becoming the chief minister of Delhi, he has become a dictator and is taking all decisions on his own," he said.

The MLA said, "Instead of taking action against me, Kejriwal should have taken action against Bharti."

Ten days ago Binny, in a press conference, had called Kejriwal a "dictator" and accused the party of "betraying" the people of Delhi by backtracking on its election promises.

Binny had announced that he will sit on a dharna at Jantar Mantar if the party fails to fulfill the promises made to people by January 27.

The MLA also demanded immediate setting up of 'Mahila Suraksha Dal' and supply of 700 litres of free water to residents along with reduction in electricity bills by up to half as Kejriwal promised during election.

"Women security is the first priority of mine. Before forming the government, Kejriwal had said that he would form a 'Mahila Suraksha Dal' to ensure women security in the Delhi, but he is running away from this promise," Binny alleged.

The Lakshmi Nagar MLA also claimed that the decision to expel him was taken to gag other dissatisfied party MLAs.

Asked about Binny's claims that some other MLAs were disgruntled with the party, Kejriwal said, "Who is here to save the government, we are here to work for the people."

Binny also accused Kejriwal of not fulfilling promises on making the jobs of contractual employees permanent, adding these people have been sitting on a dharna for the last few days but the chief minister has not met them.

Asked if he was going to join the BJP or Congress, he said he was "not going to join either the BJP or the Congress as I am against their politics."

Before staging his dharna at Jantar Mantar against the Kejriwal-led government, the MLA paid homage to Mahatma Gandhi at Rajghat.