NEW DELHI: As Raghav Chadha announced his exit from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Friday and joined hands with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), an old video of him has resurfaced on social media, in which he is seen criticising the party he has now joined.
In the video from an interview with “Unfiltered by Samdish” three years ago, Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha had said, “I believe BJP is a party of illiterate goons. And they give patronage to criminals.”
On Friday, Chadha confirmed the merger of AAP MPs with the BJP. “We have decided that we, the 2/3rd members belonging to the AAP in Rajya Sabha, exercise the provisions of the Constitution of India and merge ourselves with the BJP,” he said at a press conference.
Announcing his resignation from AAP, Chadha said the party had deviated from its original principles. “The Aam Aadmi Party, which I nurtured with my blood and sweat and to which I gave 15 years of my youth, has now completely deviated from its principles, values, and core morals. The party is no longer working for the country or in the national interest, but for personal gain,” he said.
He added, “I am the right man in the wrong party.” Chadha, contradictory to his previous remarks, also praised the leadership of PM Modi, saying, “Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the government has taken several strong decisions that earlier leaders were perhaps hesitant to take, whether it is uprooting terrorism or bringing India among the top global economies. The people have endorsed this leadership not once, not twice, but three times. We all feel fortunate to work under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and with the determination of Home Minister Amit Shah, and we will continue to work tirelessly for the nation. To those who felt disappointed that, as a Member of Parliament, I might not be able to raise the issues of ordinary citizens because my own party had silenced my voice, I want to assure them not to worry. I will continue to raise all your issues with the same commitment, enthusiasm, and energy.”
Following the announcement, Chadha, along with Rajya Sabha MPs Sandeep Pathak and Ashok Mittal, met BJP national president Nitin Nabin at the party headquarters, where they were formally inducted into the party.
