Ashutosh Reveals 'Surname For Votes' Game Days After Leaving Aam Aadmi Party, Later Says Not Member of 'Anti-AAP Brigade'

New Delhi, August 29: Days after quitting the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Ashutosh today accused the party of playing caste politics by using his surname during elections. Ashutosh said that while campaigning for the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the party leadership mentioned his surname while introducing him to party workers in spite of his protest. The former AAP leader took to Twitter to slam the party leadership. In his tweet, he said he was told to use his caste to get votes.

Ashutosh tweeted, “In 23 years of my journalism, no one asked my caste, surname. Was known by my name. But as I was introduced to party workers as LOKSABHA candidate in 2014 my surname was promptly mentioned despite my protest.”

Later in his another tweet he said that he is not a member of the anti-APP brigade. He also slammed the media for misunderstanding his tweet and attributing his works as an attack on AAP. In one of his tweets, Ashutosh also took a dig on the Bharatiya Janata Party for playing politics over his tweet.

Yesterday reports also surfaced in the media accusing the AAP of asking its Lok Sabha candidate, Atishi Marlena to drop her "Christian-sounding" surname. Atishi's surname has disappeared from AAP banners, pamphlets and promotional materials. Her Twitter handle has also been changed from @Atishimarlena to @AtishiAAP. The party website has also removed the surname from her name. The changes came shortly after Atishi was announced as the AAP candidate from East Delhi for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. However, the AAP has denied these reports.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 29, 2018 11:55 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).