Rajya Sabha MPs Raghav Chadha, Ashok Mittal, and Sandeep Pathak on Friday quit the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in a big jolt to Arvind Kejriwal and joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Addressing a press conference with Sandeep Pathak and Ashok Mittal, Raghav Chadha said, "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."
Why did Raghav Chadha quit AAP?
AAP MP Raghav Chadha says, "I am telling you the real reason as to why I distanced myself from party activities. I did not want to be a part of their crimes. I was not eligible for their friendship because I was not a part of their crime. We had just two options - either quit politics and give up our public work in the last 15-16 years or do positive politics with our energy and experience. So, 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."
Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer (Sangrur), Raj Kumar Chabbewal (Hoshiarpur), and Malwinder Singh Kang (Anandpur Sahib) are the three Lok Sabha MPs of the Aam Aadmi Party from Punjab.
Chadha and two others have been Rajya Sabha members since 2022
Raghav Chadha, Ashok Kumar Mittal, and Sandeep Pathak have been serving as Rajya Sabha members from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) since 2022.
Raghav Chadha said, "The Aam Aadmi Party, which I nurtured with my blood and sweat and to which I gave 15 years of my youth, has now completely deviated from its principles, values, and core morals. The party is no longer working for the country or in the national interest but for personal gain. Many of you have been telling me this for the past few years, and I too have personally felt that I am the right man in the wrong party. I repeat, 'I am the right man in the wrong party.' Therefore, today I announce that I am distancing myself from the Aam Aadmi Party and going to the people."
Raghav Chadha further said, "We, two-thirds of the Members of Parliament belonging to the Aam Aadmi Party in the Rajya Sabha, will exercise the provisions of the Constitution of India and merge with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)."
Raghav Chadha claims others are set to join BJP
Raghav Chadha also claimed that Swati Maliwal, Harbhajan Singh, Rajinder Gupta, and Vikramjit Singh Sahney also quit the AAP and joined the BJP.
AAP MP Raghav Chadha said, "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, Vikram Sahney, and Swati Maliwal."
Raghav Chadha earlier this month shared on Instagram a video titled "Voice Raised Price Paid", a compilation of clips of him raising various issues in Parliament amid his ongoing rift with his party. "With due respect, to those who are questioning my parliamentary performance, I will let my work do the talking," he said in the post.
The AAP on April 2 removed Chadha as its deputy leader in the Rajya Sabha and has accused him of shying away from raising his voice against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Centre in Parliament and instead engaging in "soft PR".
A combative Chadha has dismissed the party's allegations as "lies" and said that he went to Parliament to raise people's issues and not to create ruckus. Since his removal as the AAP's deputy leader in the Upper House, Chadha has shared several videos and posts on social media, making it clear that he will not take his demotion lying down.
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Raghav Chadha says 2/3rd of AAP's Rajya Sabha MPs merging with BJP: Here's the complete list
