New Delhi: Leaders of Delhi’s ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) have started washing their dirty linen in public following the expulsion of two founder members.

AAP announced the expulsion of Yogendra Yadav and Prashant Bhushan late on Monday night on disciplinary grounds, for their alleged anti-party activities, after weeks of acrimony that began soon after the party swept to power in February with a historic victory.

The party in a statement issued on late Monday night said the two leaders were expelled for “gross indiscipline and anti-party activity” and that the decision to expel them was unanimous.

Their exit is expected to be followed by expulsions of at least other rebel leaders including Prashant Bhushan’s father Shanti Bhushan, Maharashtra leader Mayank Gandhi, Ajit Jha and Anand Kumar.

Prashant Bhushan reacted sharply to his expulsion comparing AAP to the notorious Khaap panchayats (kangaroo courts) of Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh.

“AAP is now run by a Khaap. All dreams of a movement have been shattered by a small coterie and a dictator,” Bhushan said.

“When will you throw me out Arvind (Kejriwal)? I am waiting for that impatiently. Arvind should adopt Hitler’s dress as he has already adopted his ways,” Bhushan’s father and former federal minister Shanti Bhushan said of the twin expulsions on Tuesday.

The Bhushans were closely associated with AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal, who is also the incumbent Delhi chief minister, during the anti-corruption crusade of Kejriwal and his erstwhile mentor Anna Hazare since 2011.

The two leaders have drawn the ire of Kejriwal for questioning over his alleged dictatorial style of functioning and his opposition to AAP’s expansion beyond Delhi. He had openly told senior party leaders that he cannot work with Yadav and Bhushan and had even threatened to split the party and form his own political outfit with the support of all 67 AAP lawmakers of Delhi.

Yadav and Bhushan were thrown out of the party in a systematic manner. First they were dropped from the party’s apex decision making Political Affairs Committee, followed by their expulsion as National Executive Members. They were then deposed of all party posts and served show cause notices.

The rebel duo convened a meeting of unhappy AAP members in suburban city Gurgaon last week and fell just short of announcing the formation of a new political party.

Prashant Bhushan had questioned credibility of two members of AAP’s disciplinary action committee, namely Pankaj Gupta and Ashish Khetan saying while Gupta had accepted Rs20 million (Dh1.16 million) from shell companies and Khetan of writing planted stories in favour of an industrial house while he worked as a journalist with magazine Tehelka.

AAP termed the allegations as baseless and announced its decision to stand by them.

In a bid to turn the table on Bhushan, Khetan instead of coming clean of the allegations levelled against them questioned source of money of Bhushans for their properties.

“They have challenged an honest aam aadmi [common man]. There will now be investigation in all their properties. Either they prove me dishonest or else they will have to prove their honesty,” Khetan said.

The Bhushans were involved in a land deal row in Uttar Pradesh town Noida adjoining Delhi a few years ago.

“The money is honestly earned by me, every penny of it. Let him expose us, he will get exposed himself. Our family is the most honest family in the country. Nobody can question our integrity,” Shanti Bhushan said. Both Shanti and Prashant Bhushan are noted lawyers of the Supreme Court.