A day after joining the Bharatiya Janata Party, former AAP leader and Delhi minister Kailash Gahlot said that it took a long time for him to muster the "courage" to quit the Arvind Kejriwal-led party. He said on Tuesday that his decision was made on the basis of diluted values and principles of the Aam Aadmi Party.
Gahlot noted that such decisions are not taken overnight, they happen over a "prolonged period". He emphasized that it takes time to understand a few things.
"I am repeating again and again that we are connected to some values and principles. If we see some dilution in the same, I think I mustered the courage to quit," the now BJP leader told news agency ANI.
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Gahlot hinted that there are others in the party who want to quit, but they are "unable to muster courage". He said he thinks that they will continue with AAP.
Asking if he had any tiff or was upset with either any AAP leader or Chief Minister Atishi over portfolio allocations, Gahlot said he had nothing against anyone.
‘Not easy to make this decision’
The BJP leader highlighted that he enjoyed serving as the Transport Minister in the AAP cabinet.
"I gained enjoyment and satisfaction while handling Transport...I spent all of my time handling Transport. I have nothing against anyone. It is the prerogative of the CM that what portfolio has to be given to who. I have nothing to say on that," he added.
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Kailash Gahlot said it was not easy for him to quit the party.
"I said yesterday that it was not easy to make this decision (of quitting AAP) because we connected to this party right from the beginning. We had a lot of struggles, right from 2015," he told ANI.
"When a person gets convinced about a decision...it is not like you go to a mall and buy a jacket... This is very serious and emotional. I was in pain... it is a prolonged thing," he added.
Gahlot also said that he was "not aware" of the August 15 flag hoisting row.
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"I am not aware of that (the then CM Arvind Kejriwal's letter) because there is a protocol for writing letters from jail...I have seen that quite closely as a Home Minister. I have no idea if that process was followed. Had the process been followed, the letter would have been reached," the BJP leader said.
Gehlot resigned on Sunday, citing internal challenges and political ambitions affecting the promises made to the people of Delhi.
"Instead of fighting for people's rights we have increasingly only been fighting for our political agenda," the 50-year-old leader had said in his resignation letter.
On Monday, Gahlot joined the Bharatiya Janata Party.
Source Name : Hindustan Times