Updated

New Delhi, Mar 28 (IANS): Dissident leaders Yogendra Yadav and Prashant Bhushan were sacked on Saturday from the National Executive of the AAP, a party that had stormed to power in Delhi last month.

Yadav's supporters Anand Kumar and Ajit Jha were also removed from the Aam Aadmi Party's 21-member National Executive, the party's highest executive body that coordinates its activities at the national level.

"Democracy has been murdered in the National Council meeting," said a visibly miffed Yadav after coming out of the meeting. Bhushan said people who disagreed with Kejriwal were beaten up and thrown out of the meeting.

Yadav and Prashant Bhushan had branded Kejriwal an autocrat surrounded by "yes men" and accused him of deviating from the party's ideals. The AAP, in turn, had accused them of having tried to sabotage the party in the run up to the Delhi polls last month which it won handsomely.

Nearly 300 people were present in the meeting where Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi Manish Sisodia moved the resolution to oust Yadav and Bhushan. The resolution was passed, bringing the curtains down for the two founder members of the party that was born in 2012.

A large number of AAP activists had turned up at the meeting venue. Holding placards against Yadav and Bhushan, volunteers said that they were present for the interest of the party.

"Please stay united," read a placard. Another one read: "We are with you Arvind Kejriwal."

AAP national secretary Pankaj Gupta said 247 members had voted in favour of the proposal to remove the four members from the National Executive. He said only eight people opposed it while two gave their dissent in writing. Fifty-four members expressed no view, he said.

Yadav had earlier claimed there was no proper voting for taking the decision of ousting them.

"This is murder of democracy... There was no distinction between members and invitees. Manish Sisodia announced they have a petition signed by 160 people... There was no voting, no discussion," said Yadav, a psephologist.

He added: "There were many people who opposed it, they were not even given the chance. It is a total mockery of democracy."

Bhushan, a noted Supreme Court lawyer, claimed the AAP meeting was scripted. "Everything happened there in a planned manner. It seems that everything was scripted," Bhushan said.

AAP member Sanjay Singh denied that anyone was beaten up during the meeting. "No violence had taken place. No one was hit or injured," he told media after the meeting.

Yadav and Bhushan had five demands -- transparency in the AAP, autonomy for local units, a Lokpal probe into graft charges against party members, AAP should come within the ambit of the RTI, and an end to secret ballot during election to key posts.

Ever since the AAP came to power in the national capital by winning 67 of its 70 assembly seats, the party has been embroiled in an internal crisis that has pitted Bhushan and Yadav against Kejriwal, the party's best known face.

Anand Kumar, a Jawaharlal Nehru University professor who was also ousted, however said they will not leave the party.

Giving his account of the events, he said: "Kejriwal said we caused trouble in the elections, and asked members to decide whether we should be ousted. But they did not let us speak."

"We are not out of the party. We will neither leave nor break the party. This is a party of the workers," he said.

They also said one of Yadav's supporter was injured in the fracas.

Earlier Report

AAP NC meet begins amid chaos, Yadav on dharna outside venue

New Delhi, Mar 28 (PTI): Chaos descended at the AAP's crucial National Council meet, which may decide the fate of its two dissident leaders, as Yogendra Yadav sat on dharna outside the venue claiming that certain NC members "not being allowed" inside.

The meet has been witnessing incessant sloganeering against Yadav by a large section of party volunteers who have gathered in large numbers in and around the venue.

Apart from the dissident duo -- Yadav and Prashant Bhushan, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has already arrived at Calista resort at Kapahsera border, the venue of the meeting.

Heavy contingents of police and RAF have been deployed in the vicinity of the resort, where NC members are being allowed inside after registering at a counter.

Members who are failing to show identification, mobile number, and sms invite are being denied entry.

A proposal to remove the duo from the party is likely to be moved by the Arvind Kejriwal camp on the allegation that the duo were trying to remove him from the post of the party's National Convenor, party sources said.

However, in the build-up to the meeting, the Prashant Bhushan-Yogendra Yadav camp said that it won't be easy to remove them from the party.

"They can remove us from the National Executive but not from the party. If we have to be removed from the party, the matter has to be referred to the Lokpal or the disciplinary committee.

Both the groups claimed to have the numbers with them, ahead of the National Council meeting.

The party's constitution states that action cannot be taken by the party unless the member is given an opportunity to explain his stand.

The National Council, the third most important body of AAP, has over 350 members. The meeting will also be attended by AAP MLAs and MPs.