New Delhi, May 5
Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha on Tuesday accused the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led Punjab government of unleashing “dangerous vendetta politics” against legislators who recently quit the party and merged with the BJP.
Chadha, accompanied by three fellow MPs, met President Droupadi Murmu and submitted a representation alleging harassment, intimidation, and politically motivated action by state agencies.
“All those MPs who exercised their constitutional right to disagree with AAP and chose to leave it have been systematically targeted since April 24. As long as we were obedient, we were considered cultured. The moment we left, we were branded corrupt,” Chadha told reporters after the meeting.
Chadha cited specific instances: World Cup-winning cricketer Harbhajan Singh had “traitor” scrawled outside his home, stones allegedly hurled at his residence, and slogans raised against his family. Industrialist and Padma Shri awardee Rajinder Gupta, who runs a factory employing nearly 30,000 people in Punjab’s Malwa region, saw his water supply cut off and Pollution Board raids aimed at closure.
Chadha further alleged that fabricated FIRs have been registered against MP Sandeep Pathak, calling them “so frivolous that the judiciary will tear them apart.” He warned that using vigilance, the police, and regulatory bodies for political revenge “is a dangerous game whose end will not be good.”
The MP claimed attempts were underway to target him next through “manufactured cases” and smear campaigns on social media. He appealed to Punjab government officials not to succumb to political pressure, urging them to act “according to law and in national interest.”
Taking a swipe at AAP, Chadha said, “Those who invoke Mahatma Gandhi’s ideals are now misusing state machinery to settle political scores. The people of Punjab must know how their government is being weaponized.”
