Chandigarh: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Thursday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of turning politics into a marketplace where loyalty, ideology, and public mandate are traded for power. The party alleged that the BJP uses opposition leaders as disposable pawns to advance its political interests.
BJP's 'Use and Throw' Culture
Referring to Sunil Jakhar and Ravneet Singh Bittu, who previously left the Congress to join the BJP, Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema highlighted what he called the saffron party's 'use and throw' culture. He claimed that the BJP lures opposition figures to create an illusion of political growth in Punjab, only to marginalize them once their usefulness ends.
Electorate Not Fooled
Cheema asserted that Punjab's electorate can see through the BJP's desperate attempts to 'buy a foothold' in the state. He stated that voters would not be misled by the party's efforts to hide its anti-Punjab agenda behind imported faces from other parties. 'Recent political shifts reveal the BJP's complete disregard for the Punjab leaders it inherits, using them strictly for short-term gains before tossing them aside,' Cheema added.
Marketplace of Opportunism
The AAP leader said the BJP has reduced politics to a 'marketplace of opportunism.' He emphasized that the BJP has no respect for ideology, loyalty, or the mandate of the people. 'They systematically target opposition leaders, lure them to switch sides to create a false narrative of growth in Punjab, and once their immediate utility is over, they ruthlessly marginalize them,' Cheema stated.
The remarks came on a day when the BJP announced its national general secretary among the candidates for the Rajya Sabha, further fueling the AAP's criticism.
