'Betrayed Punjab': AAP flays Raghav Chadha’s silence on state issues after his 'ghatak hoon' remark

CHANDIGARH: The war of words between Aam Aadmi Party and party Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha intensified on Saturday, with Punjab functionaries accusing him of betraying the state that elected him, and he claiming a "coordinated campaign" to silence his voice. "Ghayal hoon, isliye ghatak hoon (I am wounded, therefore I am lethal)," he said.

Punjab AAP functionaries, including finance minister Harpal Singh Cheema, state party president Aman Arora and chief spokesperson Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal on Saturday accused Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha of failing to raise matters concerning Punjab in Parliament.

They alleged that issues like the state's pending funds with Centre, including Rs 8,500 crore rural development fund (RDF), Rs 60,000 crore GST losses and Rs 1,600 crore flood relief, were not taken up, despite repeated communication. Calling the "silence" a "betrayal" of Punjab's people and mandate, AAP functionaries said his failure to raise farmers' concerns and flood victims' plight reflected a "complete disconnect from ground realities."

Cheema said, "We sent him to Rajya Sabha with hope, but he did not speak even once before the Prime Minister on these issues. This clearly shows a compromise. AAP is a party that gives opportunities to common people, but remaining silent on such crucial issues is a betrayal of Punjab and its people."

"Raghav Chadha was elected to RS by Punjab MLAs with the expectation that he would strongly represent the state's concerns at the national level. However, he completely avoided raising even a single sensitive issue related to Punjab," added Cheema.

On flood relief, he said, "Despite PM's announcement of Rs 1,600 crore relief for Punjab after the devastating floods, not even a fraction of that amount has reached Punjab's treasury. All these issues were repeatedly conveyed to Raghav Chadha, yet he did not raise even one of them in Parliament."

Arora said, "Raghav Chadha must remember the role played by Arvind Kejriwal and the party in elevating him politically. Instead of focusing on Punjab's pressing issues such as pending RDF funds and flood relief, he chose to raise unrelated matters, which has been noticed by the entire country."

Dhaliwal found Chadha's silence on the plight of flood-affected people of Punjab ‘disappointing'. "The party and affected residents repeatedly urged him to raise the issue of compensation in Parliament, especially the Rs 1,600 crore relief announced by the PM, which has still not been delivered. People suffered massive losses to homes, crops and infrastructure, yet their voice was never raised at the national level. We expected him to strongly demand justice and relief for Punjab's flood victims. People of Punjab will not forget this neglect," he said.

Chadha on Saturday released a video statement, rebutting allegations levelled against him by AAP leadership, calling them "baseless, selective and unsupported by facts."

The charge that he failed to join Opposition walkouts was a "complete falsehood", he said, adding that he was being singled out in the controversy over the impeachment motion against Chief Election Commissioner. Seven of the 10 party MPs in Rajya Sabha — including himself — had not signed the motion, he said, asking why the same standard wasn't applied to the six others.

Dismissing claims that he was "scared", Chadha said his refusal to engage in shouting should not be mistaken for weakness. "I came to Parliament to make an impact, not a ruckus," he said.

During his four years as MP, he highlighted a wide spectrum of issues, including GST, income-tax, Punjab's water concerns, Delhi's air quality and unemployment, he said, alleging a deliberate and coordinated bid to "silence his voice in Parliament".