Binny calls off 5-hour ‘hunger strike’, gives AAP 10 days to act

Expelled Aam Aadmi Party MLA Vinod Kumar Binny, who had started a hunger strike today to protest against AAP and its leader Arvind Kejriwal, called off the strike. His hunger strike barely lasted five hours. Binny said that he was calling off the strike on the request of Anna Hazare, who had written to him saying that perhaps Binny should give more time to Kejriwal and the AAP government.

Binny has said he will give the AAP government and Kejriwal a deadline of ten days to fulfil the promises they had made to the people of Delhi, after which he will explore other methods to mount pressure. Binny and his supporters had gathered today at Janta Mantar to protest against the Kejriwal government. Yesterday, AAP had announced that it was expelling the rebel MLA for ‘indiscipline.’The rebel AAP MLA also questioned the grounds on which he was expelled. “I asked the right questions about the promises made to the people and I’m expelled for indiscipline. They call me greedy for a post. But why are they not expelling those who misbehaved with women, those who insulted foreign women,” he asked targeting Delhi law minister Somnath Bharti.

Binny also alleged that Kejriwal wants the government to fail, as he has already set his sets on Lok Sabha 2014 elections.At Binny’s protest, India Against Corruption members were also seen supporting the rebel MLA. They were spotted waving the Indian National Flag. One IAC member then went on stage to say that, “Anna Hazare was shocked and upset to hear that Binny had been expelled by the party. Annaji has given his full support to Binny.”

Binny, who addressed the crowd of close to 200 people, said that AAP and Kejriwal had cheated the people of Delhi. He raised the question of the Jan Lokpal bill, the issue of free water and electricity, which was promised by the AAP.

“Where is Annaji’s Jan Lokpal bill? Kejriwal had promised that it would be passed within 15 days. Why has it not been passed, asked Binny. He also said that Kejriwal had betrayed the people on the issue of water and electricity. He repeated everything he had said in the press conference he addressed a few days ago.

“In the manifesto they cleverly inserted the clause that anyone who used more than 700 litres of water would have to pay for the whole amount. They cheated the people of Delhi. Kejriwal also asked people not pay electricity bills, promising them that they would reduce their bills by 50 percent. They didn’t do that and instead added the limit of 400 units. Now those people who didn’t pay the bills, have bills worth lakhs pending. They have been betrayed by Arvind Kejriwal and AAP,” said Binny.

Binny also alleged that the party was functioning in a dictatorial manner and there was no difference between AAP and Congress and BJP. “In AAP, four or five people take all the decisions. The Lok Sabha election candidates are all fixed. It was the same in the Delhi Vidhan Sabha elections. Manish Sisodia had come to me and asked to me contest from Laxminagar, even before the candidates were announced. I wanted to contest from Patparganj because I had worked there,” said Binny. Sisodia is currently the MLA from Patparganj.

The expelled AAP leader also slammed the issue of women’s security. “Where is the commando force? You (AAP) had promised a force and it is yet to be formed. Why the AAP government silent on all the gangrapes that are taking place in Delhi day after day,” he said. Binny also got the support of Tina Sharma, AAP leader and former BJP member, who said that Kejriwal’s silence on the issue of women’s safety was damning. She said that if the CM was really honest, he should come on stage and debate with Binny on the real issues.