'BJP once again betrayed Punjabis': Kejriwal on Raghav Chadha's shocker
What's the story
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal has reacted to the rebellion of Raghav Chadha with a one-line sentence. "The BJP has once again given Punjabis a shove," he wrote in Hindi on X. An hour ago, Chadha announced that he will be joining the BJP along with six other Rajya Sabha MPs in a stunning blow to the AAP he had joined in 2012 when the party was in its germination stage.
Accusations
BJP's cheap politics, says Singh
AAP MP Sanjay Singh also reacted to the shocker by pointing fingers at the BJP, which he accused of conducting "Operation Lotus." He said, "The Bharatiya Janata Party...under Narendra Modi and Amit Shah has launched 'Operation Lotus,' which is being described as a game of cheap politics and an attempt to obstruct the good work of...Bhagwant Mann government in Punjab on a large scale." He asked Punjabis to remember their names, saying they would never be forgiven for their betrayal.
Singh
'Fear is being used'
The AAP leader also alleged that central agencies like the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) were being misused to break away AAP MPs. You may recall that just a few days ago there was an ED raid on Ashok Mittal, and things seem to connect, there was a raid and then he was taken away. This suggests that fear is being used and the administrative system is being misused to run 'Operation Lotus.'
Chadha
'Right man in wrong party'
Chadha announced that he was joining the BJP, claiming that the party (AAP) that he had "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," he said. He said that for the past few years, he felt like he was the right man in the wrong party.
MPs
7 AAP MPs to switch
Alongside him, Sandeep Pathak and Ashok Mittal will also be joining 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...3 of them are here before you," he said. "Besides us, there are Harbhajan Singh, Rajinder Gupta, Vikram Sahney and Swati Maliwal," he said.