Delivering his message to the assembled AAP volunteers, AAP Lokpal Admiral L Ramdas said he was distressed by the events, but wants all parties to try to save the unity of the party one way or the other and said he was ready to sign an apology if such a reunion was possible.
On the other hand, “if a parting seems inevitable, we must have the grace and magnanimity to avoid recriminations in the future. If we do not act with integrity today, I fear that we would have dashed the hopes of many generations for whom AAP represented a breath of fresh air,” Admiral Ramdas said.
Admiral Ramdas is a Magsaysay award winner and the former head of India’s Naval forces. He joined the Aam Aadmi Party and was soon made the head of the internal Lokpal or ombudsman.
The Admiral said that two months ago, the atmosphere at the time of Kejriwal’s oath-taking ceremony was festive as well as filled with a sense of purpose, but at present, the party’s vision has been compromised.
Saying that he was not keen on a split in the Aam Aadmi Party, he said the beautiful organization had been reduced to a “farce” as its members had failed to live up to the promises and vision on which the party was founded.
“We should not look for imaginary threats and enemies (responsible the current state of affairs), but the real reason lies within,” he said.
He said he had tried several times to find out when his term as the Lokpal of the party had ended, but such efforts have not been rewarded yet.
“Those who held public positions in the party must be held accountable.. the fault lies in our own tragic inabibility to exercise and demonstrate true leadership, compassion,” he said.
He said the recent tactics, abuse and strong-arm tactics are not compatible with the party’s vision of Swaraj.
“Corruption is not about exchange of money alone.. also includes procedural violations,” the retired Admiral said. He also said the party should not have tried to prevent its members from attending Swaraj Samvad.
“In a democracy, there should be no fear for speaking your mind and being present for this meeting,” he said.
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swaraj-samvadThe Swaraj Samvad is being organized by Yogendra Yadav and Prashant Bhushan, the most powerful leaders in the AAP after Arvind Kejriwal, to seek volunteer feedback on the path ahead.