Seven AAP Rajya Sabha MPs, including Raghav Chadha, have merged with the BJP. AAP leaders Sanjay Singh and Bhagwant Mann called them ‘traitors’ and accused the BJP of ‘Operation Lotus’. Chadha cited AAP’s deviation from its core ideology for the move.
Following the merger of seven Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Rajya Sabha MPs with the BJP, party leader Sanjay Singh on Friday lashed out at the MPs, labelling them “traitors” to the people of Punjab.
Addressing a press conference on Friday, Singh accused the BJP of orchestrating what he called “Operation Lotus” in a targeted attempt to dismantle the progress made by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s government. “Bharatiya Janata Party, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah have begun their ‘Operation Lotus’ to stop the good work of Punjab’s Bhagwant Mann Government…7 AAP Rajya Sabha MPs are joining the BJP. The people of Punjab should remember these 7 names. These ‘traitors’ of Punjab would never be forgiven by the people,” he said.
AAP leaders slam defecting MPs
Escalating his attack, Singh dismissed the MPs’ justification for the split. He characterised the BJP as a party that has “backstabbed” farmers and the people of Punjab, adding, “You will go with them to bring change and revolution. Who will believe such a thing?”.
Echoing these sentiments, Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann said, “The seven MPs who are joining the BJP don’t represent Punjab, they are traitors,” further stating that they would not get benefits in the BJP as well.
In a brief post on X, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) supremo Arvind Kejriwal also slammed the BJP, alleging that the ruling party at the Centre has “shoved” the people of Punjab. “BJP ne fir se Punjabio ke sath kia dhakka’ (The BJP has once again given Punjabis a shove)”, he wrote on X.
Defecting MPs announce merger with BJP
This comes after three AAP MPs – Raghav Chadha, Sandeep Pathak and Ashok Mittal announced a split in the party and said that two-thirds of the party’s members in Rajya Sabha had decided to “merge with the BJP”. “We have decided that we, the 2/3rd members belonging to the AAP in Rajya Sabha, exercise the provisions of the Constitution of India and merge ourselves with the BJP,” Raghav Chadha said at a press conference, which was also attended by Sandeep Pathak and Ashok Mittal.
Answering queries, Raghav Chadha said that AAP has 10 members in the Rajya Sabha, and seven of them have decided to leave the party and merge with the BJP. “There are 10 AAP MPs in the Rajya Sabha, more than 2/3rd of them are with us in this. They have signed and this morning we submitted the signed letter and documents to the Rajya Sabha Chairman…three of them are here before you. Besides us, there are Harbhajan Singh, Rajinder Gupta, Vikramjit Singh Sahney and Swati Maliwal.”
‘Right man in wrong party’: Raghav Chadha
Chadha said that the decision stems from AAP “moving away from its core ideology” and alleged that it is now working for personal benefits. “The AAP, which I nurtured with my blood and sweat, and gave 15 years of my youth to, has deviated from its principles, values and core morals. Now this party does not work in the interest of the nation but for its personal benefits…For the past few years, I could feel that I am the right man in the wrong party. So, today, we announce that I am distancing myself from the AAP and getting close to the public,” he said.
Chadha alleges ‘scripted campaign’ by AAP
The move came days after AAP removed Chadha as Deputy Leader in the Rajya Sabha. Following the decision, several party leaders had attacked Chadha and accused him of being soft towards the BJP. Chadha had hit back at the allegations, calling it a “coordinated attack” and denying claims that he refused to walk out of Parliament or sign an impeachment motion against the Chief Election Commissioner.
In a post on X, Chadha had said a scripted campaign was being run against him. “A scripted campaign has been going on against me. Same language, same words, same allegations. This is no coincidence, but a coordinated attack. At first, I thought I shouldn’t respond. Then I thought that if a lie is repeated 100 times, some people might believe it. So, I decided to respond,” he said.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)