Former BJP leader Chaudhary Surendra Kumar joined the Aam Aadmi Party in the presence of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday.
Kumar said he decided to quit the BJP because he was "deeply affected" by the alleged demolition of the Ravidas temple in Delhi. "Demolition of the Ravidas temple hurt my sentiments and I was very impressed by the work done by the AAP whether it was in the education sector or health. So I decided to join (the AAP)," Kumar said.
Kumar had joined the BJP in July this year. Before joining the saffron party, Kumar was the president of BSP’s Delhi unit. He was Bahujan Samaj Party’s MLA from Gokulpuri in Delhi from 2008-13.
Welcoming him, Kejriwal said, "I am very happy that Kumar is joining the party along with all his supporters. Recently, former Congress MLA Prahlad Singh Sahni had joined the party, leaving the Congress. This is happening as in the last five years, the people of Delhi are extremely happy with the development work being done in Delhi by the AAP Government," he said. "The AAP is the only party stands for the rights of the Dalit community. It is disappointed to see the BJP is constantly disrespecting Dalit saints," he added.
Citing the incident of the demolition of Sant Ravidas temple in Delhi, Kumar said that the way the BJP Government destroyed the temple shocked many.
