The AAP on Saturday criticised Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha for allegedly failing to raise key issues concerning Punjab in Parliament and said that his “inaction” was contrary to the party’s principles.
In a joint statement, Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema, state AAP president Aman Arora and party leader Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal said that Chadha’s silence on several critical matters was “disappointing”.
Cheema said Chadha, who was elected to the Rajya Sabha by Punjab MLAs, was expected to strongly represent the state’s concerns at the national level, but did not raise “even a single sensitive issue” related to it.
Key financial concerns, including around Rs 8,500 crore in pending Rural Development Fund (RDF) dues and GST-related losses worth nearly Rs 60,000 crore, were not highlighted in Parliament, the minister said.
He also listed financial setbacks due to changes in GST compensation and issues related to funding under the National Health Mission among the matters that the MP allegedly failed to raise.
Punjab has not received the full financial assistance of Rs 1,600 crore announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi after last year’s floods in the state. This matter was also not raised in Parliament, Cheema said.
Terming Chadha’s silence “disappointing”, the minister said the AAP had expected the MP to take up these issues with the Centre and that his “inaction” was contrary to the party’s principles.
Punjab AAP chief Arora said raising public issues without fear was among the party’s founding principles and any deviation from that was “unexpected”.
He said Punjab’s pending financial and relief-related matters required consistent attention at the national level.
AAP MLA Dhaliwal said there was resentment among those affected by the floods over the issue not being raised in Parliament. The affected residents had urged that compensation and relief be discussed, but their concerns did not find mention in the House, he said.
The AAP leaders said the issues concerning Punjab should be raised consistently on all platforms, asserting that failure to do so undermines the mandate given by the people to the party.
Raghav hits back at AAP
The spat between the Aam Aadmi Party and its Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha intensified on Saturday with the sidelined leader dismissing AAP’s allegation against him as “lies” and asserting that he went to Parliament to raise people’s issues and not to create ruckus. “All these lies will be unmasked. Kyunki mai ghayal hoon isiliye ghatak hoon’ (I am wounded, therefore I am dangerous),” the MP said in a video statement, quoting from the movie ‘Dhurandhar’, and alleged that there was a coordinated campaign to target him. His reaction came a day after the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) launched an all-out attack, accusing him of shying away from raising his voice against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Centre in Parliament and instead engaging in “soft PR”.
AAP had removed him as its deputy leader in Rajya Sabha on Thursday, after which the MP had said he had been “silenced, not defeated”.
Chadha on Saturday also countered claims by AAP leaders that he did not join opposition walkouts and had refused to sign the notice for a motion to remove the Chief Election Commissioner.
He said that he did not want to respond, but if lies are repeated consistently, they may seem to appear true.
“The first allegation they put against me was that I did not walk out with the opposition. This is a white lie, and I challenge you (AAP) to give me one example, one incident, where opposition walked out and I didn’t support them,” Chadha said.
“There are CCTV cameras everywhere in the parliament. Show me footage and it will become clear,” he said.
On the notice for a motion against the Chief Election Commissioner, Chadha said no party leader had asked him, either formally or informally, to sign it.
He said that several other MPs from his party had also not signed the motion.
“So, what is my fault? Why am I being blamed here?” he said, noting that 50 signatures were needed for the notice and there were 105 MPs in the opposition.
“They said I am scared and that is why I am raising useless issues. I want to tell you that I did not go to parliament to create ruckus, scream, break the mic or abuse. I went there to raise problems of people,” the MP said.
“From Punjab’s water issues to air pollution in Delhi, poor conditions of government schools and the problems being faced by passengers travelling in trains… I raised such issues,” he said.
The MP said his focus in Parliament has been on raising public issues like GST, income tax, public healthcare, education, railway passenger issues, menstrual health, unemployment and inflation.
Chadha said that he goes to Parliament to “create impact not ruckus” as it runs on taxpayers’ money and it is his responsibility to highlight their concerns. “Every lie will be exposed,” he said.
“I just want to say that all three allegations, all these lies, will be unmasked,” Chadha said in the video statement titled “Three Allegations. Zero Truth”.