NEW DELHI: Several Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) workers staged a protest on Saturday outside the residence of Rajya Sabha MP Rajinder Gupta in Ludhiana. According to a video, party workers used spray paint cans to write slogans in Punjabi, including the word 'Gaddar' (traitor), on the walls of Gupta's residence, expressing their resentment after he joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
The protesters also burned an effigy of Gupta to demonstrate their frustration. This development follows the announcement on Friday that Raghav Chadha, Rajinder Gupta, and two-thirds of AAP's Rajya Sabha MPs had merged with the BJP.
Political Setback for AAP
The merger represents a major political blow to the Aam Aadmi Party. Raghav Chadha led the split after weeks of escalating tensions with the party leadership. Announcing his exit, Chadha stated that the party had 'strayed from its founding principles' and claimed he did not want to be 'part of their sins,' describing himself as the 'right man in the wrong party.'
Details of the Merger
Chadha also revealed that more than two-thirds of AAP's Rajya Sabha MPs supported the move, with seven MPs signing documents to formalize the merger with the BJP under constitutional provisions.
The rift had been brewing for days, particularly after Chadha was removed as the party's deputy leader. Senior AAP leaders accused him of deviating from the party line, engaging in 'soft PR,' and avoiding direct attacks on the BJP in Parliament. In response, Chadha dismissed the allegations as 'baseless' and part of a 'coordinated campaign' to target him. He maintained that his focus in Parliament was to raise issues affecting the common man rather than create disruption.
Chadha's Parliamentary Work
Listing his achievements, Chadha said he had consistently raised concerns such as expensive food at airports, taxation on the middle class, working conditions of delivery workers, and telecom pricing—issues that helped him build a strong connect with young voters.
