New Delhi, April 4 The AAP on Saturday criticised Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha for allegedly failing to raise key issues concerning Punjab in Parliament, and said that his "inaction" was contrary to the party's principles.
In a joint statement, Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema, state AAP president Aman Arora, and party leader Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal said that Chadha's silence on several critical matters was "disappointing".
Cheema said that Chadha, who was elected to the Rajya Sabha by Punjab MLAs, was expected to strongly represent the state's concerns at the national level, but did not raise "even a single sensitive issue" related to it.
Key financial concerns, including around Rs 8,500 crore in pending Rural Development Fund (RDF) dues and GST-related losses worth nearly Rs 60,000 crore, were not highlighted in Parliament, the minister said.
He also listed financial setbacks due to changes in GST compensation and issues related to funding under the National Health Mission among the matters that the MP allegedly failed to raise.
Punjab has not received the full financial assistance of Rs 1,600 crore announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi after last year's floods in the state. This matter was also not raised in Parliament, Cheema said.
Terming Chadha's silence "disappointing", the minister said the AAP had expected the MP to take up these issues with the Centre and that his "inaction" was contrary to the party's principles.
Punjab AAP chief Arora said raising public issues without fear was among the party's founding principles and any deviation from that was "unexpected".
He said that Punjab's pending financial and relief-related matters required consistent attention at the national level.
AAP MLA Dhaliwal said there was resentment among those affected by the floods over the issue not being raised in Parliament. The affected residents had urged that compensation and relief be discussed, but their concerns did not find mention in the House, he said.
The AAP leaders said that the issues concerning Punjab should be raised consistently on all platforms, asserting that failure to do so undermines the mandate given by the people to the party.