Parliamentarian Raghav Chadha under fire from AAP, its RS leader and Punjab CM

New Delhi, April 3 (IANS) Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) lawmaker Raghav Chadha, once seen as key member of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Convenor Arvind Kejriwal’s inner circle, has come under fire from top-rung party leaders and also from Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and former Delhi Chief Minister Atishi as they labelled him as a “coward and frightened” politician, who “compromised” his values for political gains.

The heated political exchange and barb-trading began on Friday, after Raghav Chadha shared a video statement over his removal as AAP’s Deputy Leader in Rajya Sabha and warned his detractors against mistaking his silence (over his sacking from the position) as defeat.

Sanjay Singh, AAP’s Leader of the House in Rajya Sabha, attacked Raghav Chadha, his deputy, by questioning latter’s credibility and uprightness, saying that he failed to rise to the occasion whenever the party expected from him.

“You don’t utter a word when the Election Commission of India (EC) is snatching voting rights of people in West Bengal, you maintain silence when Opposition questions the poll body over its biasedness. You never raise your voice against the Narendra Modi government. You stayed mum when our (AAP) workers in Gujarat were harassed,” Singh said, while describing himself as the ‘true soldier’ of Arvind Kejriwal.

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, addressing a press conference, too, justified the removal of Raghav Chadha as the Deputy Leader of Upper House and said that anyone who deviates from the party line should be subjected to action.

Lending support to AAP functionaries in calling out party’s Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha for ‘questionable’ conduct, Mann said that if the party takes up a stand in the House, the members are expected to bolster it but if someone refuses to follow it, he is insulting the whip and therefore, action is bound to follow.

“In Gujarat, cases were filed against our (AAP) leaders and volunteers. That should have been addressed. In Punjab, attempts are being made to incite people in the name of religion and caste, that should be discussed. Instead, if the focus is on the price of samosas at the airport or delivery timings, how can we not suspect that they are speaking in someone else’s favour?” the Punjab Chief Minister asked.

Atishi, a close confidante of AAP supremo and former Delhi Chief Minister, went all guns blazing at young Parliamentarian Raghav Chadha and hurled many pointed questions at him.

She said that Kejriwal’s soldiers will keep fighting for people’s issues and it was up to Raghav Chadha to see where does he stand.

“Why are you (Raghav Chadha) sacred of the BJP? Why are your scared of Prime Minister Modi? Why are you scared of raising questions?” Atishi asked in a video statement.

She said that the LPG cylinder crisis has gripped the entire country and people are grappling with shortage of cooking gas.

“AAP has been raising this issue strongly and demanding answers from the Union government but you chose to stay silent. Are you scared of PM Modi?” Atishi asked.

She also referenced an incident from the past and said that the AAP defended Raghav Chadha despite his erratic reasoning and justifications during party supremo Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest on false charges but all that failed to revive his conscience.

“When Arvind Kejriwal was arrested, we were beaten and dragged on the streets. You (Raghav Chadha) may be scared of going to jail and hence escaped to London but we are Kejriwal’s soldiers and we will now cower down but will keep fighting for people’s causes,” Atishi asserted.

–IANS

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