AAP split: Kejriwal slams BJP, says party 'betrayed Punjabis'

In a major blow to the Aam Aadmi Party, seven of its 10 Rajya Sabha MPs, led by Raghav Chadha, merged with the BJP. AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal slammed the move, accusing the BJP of betraying Punjabis. Chadha cited AAP's ideological deviation.

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor Arvind Kejriwal on Friday slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) after the split in the AAP and alleged that the ruling party at the Centre has once again "betrayed the Punjabis"

In a brief post on X, Kejriwal expressed his disappointment, "BJP ne fir se Punjabio ke sath kia dhakka' (The BJP has once again given Punjabis a shove)".

Big Blow to AAP as 7 Rajya Sabha MPs Merge With BJP

In a big setback for the Aam Aadmi Party, three party MPs - Raghav Chadha, Sandeep Pathak and Ashok Mittal - on Friday 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 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 the 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.

Split Follows Chadha's Removal as Deputy Leader

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.)