‘Rights of Muslims ignored’: AAP MLA from Delhi's Seelampur Abdul Rehman resigns from party, joins Congress

Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Tuesday suffered another setback ahead of the assembly elections as MLA Abdul Rehman resigned from party's primary membership.

Rehman, an MLA from Seelampur, resigned saying that the party ignored the rights of Muslims, and hours later joined Congress.

In a two-page letter posted on his X handle, Rehman said that he is resigning from the primary membership of Aam Aadmi Party.

"The party ignored the rights of Muslims by getting entangled in the politics of power. Arvind Kejriwal always did his politics by running away from the issues of the people. I will keep fighting for justice and rights." said Abdul Rehman in a post on X.

Last month, former Delhi minister Kailash Gahlot resigned from AAP and joined the BJP in the presence of Union ministers Manohar Lal Khattar and Harsh Malhotra, Delhi unit president Virendra Sachdeva and national media head Anil Baluni among others.

Gahlot quit the AAP alleging "political ambitions" have overtaken the party's commitment towards people.

"Instead of fighting for people's rights, we have increasingly only been fighting for our own political agenda," the 50-year-old said in his resignation letter to AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal.

Gahlot, a prominent face of the AAP, also took a jab at Kejriwal as he flagged some "awkward" and "embarrassing" controversies like 'sheeshmahal', saying it makes everyone doubt if "we still believe in being the 'Aam Aadmi'".

The AAP had claimed that Gahlot's decision was influenced by cases being probed against him by central agencies.

Meanwhile, the Aam Aadmi Party on Monday announced its second list of 20 candidates for the upcoming Assembly polls, fielding senior party leader Manish Sisodia from the Jangpura seat.

Educator Avadh Ojha, who recently joined the AAP, has been fielded from the Patparganj seat, which is held by Sisodia in the current assembly.

The list also includes the names of Jintender Singh Shunty (fielded from Shahdara) and Surinder Pal Singh Bittu (Timarpur), who recently quit the BJP to join the AAP.