TMC MP Kirti Azad accuses rebel leaders Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar and Ritabrata Banerjee of corruption, alleging bribery. He also claims BJP's 'Operation Lotus' is pressuring TMC MPs, including through intimidation and vandalism.
The AAP, as expected, reacted very strongly to this development and accused the BJP of “Operation Lotus”, a term used to define saffron party engineered defections of political rivals. AAP leader Sanjay Singh alleged that central agencies like the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) were misused to pressure and break away AAP leaders. AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal accused the BJP of betraying Punjab, which is ruled by AAP and goes to assembly polls next year.
Raghav Chadha and six other AAP Rajya Sabha MPs have defected to the BJP, effectively merging their faction with the ruling party. The move poses a significant challenge to Arvind Kejriwal's AAP, particularly in Punjab, ahead of next year's assembly elections.
A significant rift within the Aam Aadmi Party has led to a major exodus, with seven AAP MPs joining the BJP. This leaves the party with only three members in the Rajya Sabha, including leader Sanjay Singh, who has denounced the defectors as 'traitors' amidst allegations of 'Operation Lotus' targeting the Punjab government.
