Bhushan Accuses AAP Leader of Writing ‘Paid News’ for Essar

Responding to the show cause notice, Bhushan has made fresh accusations against AAP’s Ashish Khetan and Pankaj Gupta.

AAP dissident leader Prashant Bhushan has hit back at the party leadership over the show-cause notice he received. He has accused AAP leader Pankaj Gupta of accepting donations from dubious companies without PAC approval. He also said party leader Ashish Khetan wrote a “paid news” story, favouring a company.

The party’s National Disciplinary Committee (NDC), headed by Dinesh Waghela with Khetan and Gupta as its members, had charged Bhushan with anti-party activities by asking people not to make donations to the party. Bhushan also accused Gupta of not implementing several decisions of the NDC.

Accepting Donations from Shell Companies

Prashant Bushan in fact wrote to Pankaj Gupta about the allegations.

You also know that there have been serious charges against you yourself, which should have been referred to the National Lokpal, Admiral Ramdas. These included the acceptance of donations of Rs 2 Crores from shell companies, without taking the approval of the PAC as required by the party’s rules, as well as of stalling and not executing the decisions of the National Disciplinary Committee which I was heading and of which you were a member.

– Prashant Bhushan

Planting Stories for Essar

Bhushan also alleged that Ashish Khetan planted stories for Essar in Tehelka magazine where he used to work.

Ashish Khetan planted stories for Essar in Tehelka. He wrote stories in favour of the 2G accused. Essar paid Tehelka Rs 3 crore for its Thinkfest.

– Prashant Bhushan

AAP Defends Members

Rebutting the charges, the party said that even the Ministry of Home Affairs had given a clean chit to the donations of AAP. “They are making fun of themselves when they are making such charges.”

Ashish Kehtan does not need the certificate of media on his journalism,” said AAP leader Ashutosh as the party came out strongly in defence of their leaders.