AAP To Demand Disqualification of Raghav Chadha and Others From Rajya Sabha: Sanjay Singh

New Delhi: Senior Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Sanjay Singh on Friday announced that he will formally move to disqualify three of Rajya Sabha members -- Raghav Chadha, Ashok Mittal, and Sandeep Pathak -- following their move to join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

His assertion comes after Raghav Chadha, Sandeep Pathak, and Ashok Mittal, decided to break away from the Arvind Kejriwal-led party.

In an X post, Sanjay Singh said that the party would be approaching the presiding officer of the Rajya Sabha to invoke the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution, which details provisions of disqualification on the grounds of defection.

"I will submit a letter to the Hon'ble Rajya Sabha Chairman, in which a demand will be made to declare Raghav Chadha, Ashok Mittal, and Sandeep Pathak disqualified from Rajya Sabha membership for joining the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), as this is tantamount to voluntarily relinquishing membership of their original party under the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution," he said.

Earlier, Rajya Sabha MPs Raghav Chadha, Sandeep Pathak and Ashok Mittal joined the BJP after severing ties with the AAP. The MPs formally joined the BJP in the presence of party president Nitin Nabin at its headquarters in Delhi.

Chadha said that the decision to merge stems from AAP "moving away from its core ideology" and alleged that it is now working for "personal benefits".

"The AAP, which I nurtured with my blood and sweat, and gave 15 years of my youth to, has deviated from its principles, values and core morals. Now this party does not work in the interest of the nation but for its personal benefits. For the past few years, I could feel that I am the right man in the wrong party. So, today, we announce that I am distancing myself from the AAP and getting close to the public," he said.

In response, the MPs have been labelled "traitors of Punjab" by the AAP's top brass, with Sanjay Singh, stating, "Bharatiya Janata Party, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah have begun their 'Operation Lotus' to stop the good work of Punjab's Bhagwant Mann Government. 7 AAP Rajya Sabha MPs are joining the BJP. The people of Punjab should remember these 7 names. These 'traitors' of Punjab would never be forgiven by the people."

AAP leader Manish Sisodia also branded them "traitors" who have bartered the "blood and sweat" of Punjab's workers for personal gain.

In an X post, Sisodia claimed that while thousands of AAP workers were enduring "threats" from the BJP, to strengthen the party's ideology, these members "struck a deal" out of fear and greed.

AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal expressed his disappointment in an X post, saying, "BJP ne fir se Punjabio ke sath kia dhakka' (The BJP has once again given Punjabis a shove)."

The merger move came days after AAP removed Chadha as Deputy Leader in the Rajya Sabha.

Following the decision, several party leaders had attacked Chadha and accused him of being soft towards the BJP.

Chadha had hit back at the allegations, calling it a "coordinated attack" and denying claims that he refused to walk out of Parliament or sign an impeachment motion against the Chief Election Commissioner.