On the occasion of Mahatma Gandhi's birthday, expelled Aam Aadmi Party minister Yogendra Yadav has launched his own political wing 'Swaraj India'.
Yadav will be the President and Ajit Jha the General Secretary, the new party announced at a press briefing. Fahim Khan will be Treasurer of the party.
Yadav, senior Supreme Court lawyer Prashant Bhushan, Ajit Jha and Professor Anand Kumar had fallen out with Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convenor and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in March last year.
Yadav then launched Swaraj Abhiyan, which worked at the grass-roots level but had so far stayed away from electoral politics.
"With a mission to usher in probity, transparency and accountability in electoral politics, we are announcing the formation of a new pan-India political party named Swaraj India," Prashant Bhushan, the newly-elected President of Swaraj Abhiyan, said.
Bhushan said Professor Anand Kumar will be the mentor and advisor to Swaraj India, he said.
"At our national convention of delegates held on July 31, 92.5 per cent of those gathered had voted in favour of forming a political party and mandated the task to a committee. The decision to form the party was later ratified through referendum among all members, where an overwhelming percentage voted to form the party," Bhushan explained.
Yogendra Yadav said at present the "founding values of our Republic are under threat".
"Democracy, diversity and dialogue is under attack, ironically by the ones who are entrusted to safeguard these values. The very idea of India is under challenge. Sadly, there is no political force that has the vision and the will to take on this challenge. Swaraj India takes up the challenge to fill this vacuum," he said.
"Swaraj India will work towards the same goal of 'true Swaraj' for the people of India through electoral intervention," he added.
(With inputs from IANS)
