Will Raghav Chadha Move Impact Punjab? AAP, BJP Face Off, Protests Erupt

Raghav Chadha and six other AAP Rajya Sabha MPs switching to the BJP have set off an intense political storm in Punjab. While the AAP has accused BJP of betraying the people, the BJP hints at even greater political upheavals in days to come.

Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann has sought an appointment with President Droupadi Murmu, where he appears to present his case regarding the AAP's call to disqualify its rebel members.

Chadha had been elected to Rajya Sabha from Punjab.

Drawing a culinary parallel, Mann said, "Ginger, garlic, cumin, fenugreek powder, red chili, black pepper, and coriander-these 7 things together make the sabzi taste great, but on their own, they can't become a "sabzi.""

Read: Bhagwant Mann's "Sabzi" Post After Raghav Chadha's Move, BJP's "Insult" Jibe

Responding to him, BJP leader and Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Saini called it an anti-farmer remark.

Earlier today, protests also erupted outside the residences of the Rajya Sabha MPs from Punjab who defected to the BJP, including that of former cricketer Harbhajan Singh.

Protesters also scribbled "traitor" outside rebel MP Rajinder Gupta's house in Ludhiana.

'No Impact On Punjab'

Slamming the defecting MPs from his state, Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Cheema said they had betrayed the people by "bowing down" to the BJP out of the fear of the ED and CBI. In the times to come, the people of Punjab would teach the BJP a fitting lesson, he added.

Asserting that all party leaders stand firmly with the chief minister, Cheema claimed that Chadha's move would not impact Punjab.

Read: Anatomy Of A Rebellion: How Raghav Chadha Led AAP Exodus

The AAP has also stated that it intends to request action against the rebel MPs under the Anti-Defection Law, noting that the MPs whose signatures were claimed to be on the document were not all present; in fact, only three MPs were actually there.

"In Punjab, all 95 of our MLAs remain united and stand with the party like a rock. No matter how hard the BJP tries, our government will not fall. The BJP is exerting pressure-relying on the power of money, hooliganism, and the Enforcement Directorate," he said.

Punjab BJP Slams Kejriwal

Punjab BJP's working president Ashwani Sharma asserted that the exit of the MPs has dealt a major blow to the AAP. This was due to Kejriwal's dictatorial tendencies, he alleged, predicting that the shift will have repercussions in Punjab as well.

"Instead of self-introspection, Mann is busy leveling allegations against the BJP," he said, adding that his party's doors are open for anyone who wishes to work in the best interests of Punjab.

He also alleged that the AAP Punjab is surviving on the strength of "borrowed" leaders, noting that it had fielded candidates who joined from other parties in the recent by-elections.

Kejriwal Being Abandoned: BJP

The BJP's National General Secretary Tarun Chugh stated that those part of the "India Against Corruption" movement are now abandoning Arvind Kejriwal.

"Be it Ashutosh, Shazia Ilmi, Kiran Bedi, or Kumar Vishwas, the list is long, all of them have parted ways with Kejriwal," he said, alleging that the AAP is engaged in organised corruption and has paralysed the administrative system.

Today, there is a sense of suffocation within the party, he claimed, calling it a hypocrisy that those who once vowed never to accept an official vehicle now travel in massive convoys, and those who promised never to live in a palatial bungalow now possess not one, but two "Sheesh Mahals".

Read: "Would Not Have Left If...": Anna Hazare As Raghav Chadha, 6 MPs Quit AAP

Responding to questions regarding a potential split among AAP MLAs in Punjab, Chugh declared that the people of Punjab have already made up their minds: "Goodbye, Kejriwal; Goodbye, Bhagwant Mann."

Haryana BJP's Saini, meanwhile, dismissed Chadha's move as part of any "Operation Lotus", or a concerted to move to break other parties. He argued that in Punjab, there were grand promises and lofty claims, yet not one has been fulfilled.

There were promises to end drug addiction, but drug abuse has only escalated, he alleged, claiming that Punjab's youth remain trapped in the quagmire of addiction while simultaneously facing a complete lack of employment opportunities.

When asked if MLAs from Punjab too are in contact with the BJP, he replied that they are desperately looking for an exit and the public too is eager to get rid of the AAP.

"The people of Punjab have now firmly resolved to drive the state's development under the leadership of Narendra Modi; they recognise that if Punjab must progress, it can only do so under Modi's leadership-under the banner of the 'Lotus' symbol," Saini said.