Raghav Chadha Quits AAP, Alleges Party Deviated from Core Values, Joins BJP with 7 MPs

Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha, on Saturday, after his exit from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), alleged that the party has deviated from its core principles and no longer provides space for honest workers. "Today, every true patriot who nurtured the Aam Aadmi Party with their blood and sweat and joined it with great expectations has either left the Aam Aadmi Party or is leaving it. Every honest, hardworking person feels that there is no longer room for work in the Aam Aadmi Party. And the Aam Aadmi Party is now walking on a wrong path that no one wants to be associated with. Consequently, one by one, many leaders have left the Aam Aadmi Party," Chadha said. Chadha further said multiple MPs have decided to leave the party together. "The Constitution, drafted by Baba Saheb Ambedkar, empowers elected MPs to leave their party if they feel that it has fallen into corrupt and compromised hands or is going down the wrong path. In this case, not one, not two, not three, not four, not five, not six, but seven MPs are leaving the Aam Aadmi Party together, because they believe that the Aam Aadmi Party has fallen into corrupt and compromised hands," he said. Responding to criticism from AAP leaders, Chadha asserted that the decision was driven by disillusionment rather than fear. "And those who are saying this, especially the Aam Aadmi Party leaders, that we left the Aam Aadmi Party out of fear, we left the Aam Aadmi Party not out of fear but after being disappointed with the Aam Aadmi Party. We left not out of fear but disgusted with the Aam Aadmi Party," he added. MPs--Raghav Chadha, Sandeep Pathak and Ashok Mittal--parted ways with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Friday and subsequently joined the BJP in the presence of party leadership. Addressing a presser in the national capital, Chadha informed that Sandeep Pathak, Harbhajan Singh, Rajinder Gupta, Vikramjit Singh Sahney and Swati Maliwal have also switched to the BJP. Chadha also took a swipe at the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), alleging that the emergence of a "Sheesh Mahal Part 2" reflects poorly on the party's image and calls for serious introspection. "'Sheesh Mahal Part 2' has been constructed in Delhi, and some pictures have emerged. When the first Sheesh Mahal was built, I believe it severely tarnished the AAP's image. If there was any primary reason for the party's loss in the Delhi elections, it was the Sheesh Mahal. Yet, within a year, 'Sheesh Mahal Part 2' has surfaced, looking very opulent. The AAP needs to introspect on these matters," he said. Former Delhi Chief Minister Atishi refuted the BJP's Sheesh Mahal 2.0 claims levelled against Arvind Kejriwal over "lavish" as he shifted to a Type-VII government bungalow located at 95, Lodhi Estate, New Delhi. "All the pictures released by Pravesh Verma are fake. They are not pictures of Kejriwal ji's house. To find out whose house is how luxurious, Rekha Gupta ji and LG sahib should open their own houses, and Kejriwal ji will open his house. The public will decide for itself," he said.