Naresh Gujral, son of former PM I.K. Gujral, lost Rs 7.8 crore to cyber fraudsters who impersonated him on a messaging app and manipulated employee phone records. Delhi Police froze Rs 4 crore and are pursuing further recovery.
CPI(M) leader MA Baby criticized Congress MP Rahul Gandhi's comments at the INDIA bloc meeting, stating Gandhi should not facilitate ED/Modi govt actions by demanding opposition arrests, rather than hugging political rivals like Pinarayi Vijayan.
TMC Rajya Sabha MP Prakash Chik Baraik resigned on Thursday, becoming the third party member to quit the Upper House amid growing unrest. His resignation follows similar moves by Sukhendu Sekhar Roy and Sushmita Dev, deepening concerns about dissent within the party.
BJD Rajya Sabha MP Debashish Samantaray resigned from the party, citing systematic belittlement. This follows similar exits by other MPs. Samantaray expressed gratitude to Naveen Patnaik and is reportedly likely to join the BJP.
Punjab Police registered two non-bailable FIRs against BJP Rajya Sabha MP Sandeep Pathak days after he switched from AAP to BJP. Pathak stated he has not received any information about the FIRs and is waiting for a copy to respond. BJP and Shiromani Akali Dal leaders accused the AAP government of political vendetta and misusing police machinery. Security was tightened outside Pathak's Delhi residence as a precautionary measure.
Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha will meet President Droupadi Murmu on May 5 to raise concerns over alleged misuse of state machinery in Punjab and flag political vendetta against MPs who recently quit the Aam Aadmi Party and joined the BJP. The meeting is scheduled for 10:40 am and Chadha will be accompanied by three other MPs. This comes after Chadha resigned from AAP and joined BJP on April 24, along with six other Rajya Sabha MPs, citing that the party had deviated from its founding principles.
Punjab police have filed two FIRs against Rajya Sabha MP Sandeep Pathak, a former AAP strategist who defected to BJP last week along with six others. Sources confirm non-bailable charges have been registered. Pathak was seen leaving his Delhi residence before police arrived. BJP and SAD allege political vendetta, claiming the timing aims to prevent further defections and divert attention from CM Bhagwant Mann.
Punjab Police have registered two FIRs under non-bailable sections against Rajya Sabha MP Sandeep Pathak in separate districts, days after he switched from the Aam Aadmi Party to the BJP as part of a group of MPs merging with the ruling camp in the Upper House. The BJP and Shiromani Akali Dal have alleged political vendetta, with BJP leaders accusing the AAP government of misusing police to target opponents.
Punjab Police have registered two FIRs under non-bailable sections against Rajya Sabha MP Sandeep Pathak in separate districts, days after he switched from the Aam Aadmi Party to the BJP as part of a group of MPs merging with the ruling camp in the Upper House. The BJP and Shiromani Akali Dal have alleged political vendetta, with BJP working president Ashwani Sharma accusing the AAP government of misusing police to target opponents.
Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann will meet President Droupadi Murmu on May 5 to discuss the recent defection of seven AAP Rajya Sabha MPs to the BJP. While Mann aims to challenge the merger, legal experts note there is no constitutional provision for recalling legislators.
Union parliamentary affairs minister Kiren Rijiju attacked AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal claiming all good people have left the party after seven Rajya Sabha MPs resigned and joined BJP. Rijiju rejected allegations of coercion by central agencies, stating the investigation agencies do their work. He accused Kejriwal of turning AAP into his private party and said only those engaged in illegal activities remain. The BJP leader also targeted the INDIA bloc, alleging internal divisions and accusing opposition leaders of uniting only to loot. The mass exodus saw two-thirds of AAP's Rajya Sabha members including Raghav Chadha, Sandeep Pathak and Ashok Mittal join BJP, boosting the party's strength to 113 MPs.
Union Minister Kiren Rijiju welcomed seven Rajya Sabha MPs who defected from AAP to BJP, praising their parliamentary conduct. The move significantly boosts BJP's strength in the Rajya Sabha, while AAP has petitioned for the disqualification of the defecting members.
Seven Aam Aadmi Party Rajya Sabha MPs have officially joined the Bharatiya Janata Party, bolstering the NDA's numbers in the Upper House. This move, facilitated by the anti-defection law's provision for two-thirds party mergers, sees the BJP's strength increase significantly. The party anticipates further gains by year-end, nearing a crucial two-thirds majority.
Seven Aam Aadmi Party Rajya Sabha MPs, led by Raghav Chadha, have officially merged with the Bharatiya Janata Party. The merger increases BJP's strength to 113 MPs and NDA's total to over 140 in the Rajya Sabha, while reducing AAP to just 3 MPs. The Rajya Sabha Chairman accepted the merger request, with Chadha accusing AAP of deviating from its core principles and working for personal gains.
Mumbai Police detained several AAP activists on Sunday after they protested outside the residence of Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha in Khar, who recently defected to BJP along with six other AAP MPs. The protesters raised slogans against him, burned his effigy, and held placards expressing anger over his party switch. Similar protests were held in Ludhiana against another AAP MP Rajinder Gupta who also joined BJP. AAP claimed the protest was peaceful and alleged police selectively enforced law to curb democratic rights.
The Punjab Police has withdrawn the security detail of Rajya Sabha MP Harbhajan Singh following his recent defection from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) to the BJP. Central Reserve Police Force personnel have since been stationed at his residence.
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann is seeking a meeting with President Murmu to recall seven Rajya Sabha MPs who defected from AAP. A minister questioned the authenticity of two signatures on the defection letter, suggesting a potential forgery. The party argues these defections betray the mandate and undermine democracy, seeking a constitutional precedent for removal.
Aam Aadmi Party workers protested outside MP Rajinder Gupta's residence in Ludhiana, spray-painting 'Gaddar' on his walls after he and Raghav Chadha led a mass defection of AAP MPs to the Bharatiya Janata Party.
Seven AAP Rajya Sabha MPs quit and merged with the BJP. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut compared the BJP to mythological demon Bakasur with insatiable hunger, calling the switching MPs wealthy 'Page 3 leaders' who needed protection. Raut claimed pressure was put on him to join the BJP and referenced his 2022 arrest in a money laundering case.
Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha lost over 1 million Instagram followers within 24 hours of announcing his exit from Aam Aadmi Party and joining the Bharatiya Janata Party. His follower count dropped from 14.6 million to 13.3 million. Users flooded his posts with critical comments expressing disappointment and betrayal. AAP Delhi unit chief Saurabh Bharadwaj alleged Chadha deleted social media posts critical of PM Modi and the BJP, calling it a "systematic reshaping of his public persona." Chadha rejected the allegations as lies and part of a coordinated campaign.
Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal, now with the BJP, revealed she was intimidated and threatened after alleging an assault by an AAP aide at Kejriwal's residence in 2024. She claimed immense pressure to withdraw her FIR, leading to her being sidelined by the party. Maliwal also criticized AAP's governance in Punjab and praised PM Modi's leadership.
Veteran activist Anna Hazare criticized AAP leadership following the departure of Raghav Chadha and six other Rajya Sabha MPs, suggesting their exit stemmed from the party deviating from its original principles. Chadha announced the group's decision to merge with the BJP, citing constitutional provisions and claiming a significant portion of AAP's Rajya Sabha members had left.
Seven Aam Aadmi Party Rajya Sabha MPs, including Raghav Chadha and Harbhajan Singh, have left the party and merged with the BJP. The MPs claimed two-thirds of AAP's Rajya Sabha members quit and exercised constitutional provisions to merge with the BJP. Social activist Anna Hazare commented that the exiting leaders must have faced difficulties within the party, adding that had AAP followed the right path, they would not have left.
Seven Aam Aadmi Party Rajya Sabha MPs, including Raghav Chadha, have exited the party and aligned with the Bharatiya Janata Party. The MPs claimed two-thirds of AAP's Rajya Sabha members quit and exercised constitutional provisions to merge with the BJP. Social activist Anna Hazare commented that the leaders must have faced difficulties within the party, saying had AAP followed the right direction, they would not have left.
