New Delhi, Nov 17 (IANS) Citing challenges like corruption and AAP’s deviation from the path of fighting for public welfare, Delhi Transport Minister Kailash Gehlot on Sunday resigned from the Cabinet and the party, delivering a big blow to the AAP ahead of the Assembly elections in February.

In a letter addressed to party convener Arvind Kejriwal, the 50-year-old Jat leader alleged the allegations of corruption surrounding the former’s official residence, when he was the Chief Minister, were a cause of “embarrassment” and also hit out at the AAP government for frequently picking up fights with the Central government.

“There are many embarrassing and awkward controversies like the 'Sheeshmahal’, which are now making everyone doubt whether we still believe in being the Aam Aadmi,” he wrote, indirectly referring to the wasteful expenditure of Rs 45 crore on renovation of Kejriwal’s former official residence in north Delhi’s Civil Lines area. The alleged wrongdoings in the renovation are also being probed by the CBI.

“I also want to share with you that today the Aam Aadmi Party faces grave challenges. Challenges from within, to the very values that brought us together to AAP. Political ambitions have overtaken our commitment towards people, leaving many promises unfulfilled,” he wrote in the letter.

Gehlot also shared his concern over the government’s inaction over cleaning the Yamuna. “We had promised to transform into a clean river, but never got around to doing it. Now the Yamuna is perhaps even more polluted than ever before,” he said.

“Another painful point has been the fact that instead of fighting for people's rights we have increasingly only been fighting for our own political agenda. This has severely crippled our ability to even deliver basic services to the people of Delhi, he wrote.

In an advice for his party’s government, Gehlot said real progress for Delhi cannot happen if the Delhi Government spends majority of its time fighting with the Centre.

The Jat leader expressed his pain over inability to serve the people while remaining in the AAP. “I had started my political journey with the commitment to serve the people of Delhi and I want to continue doing that. Which is why, I find myself left with no option but to step away from AAP and hence I resign from primary membership of Aam Aadmi Party,” he wrote.

Hailing Gehlot’s decision to resign in protest, Delhi BJP chief Virender Sachdeva, said, “He has resigned on the issues which were raised by us. In a way, his resignation has confirmed the corruption charges we had leveled against the AAP government.”