Chandigarh, April 3 Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Friday criticised AAP MP Raghav Chadha, saying he believes Chadha is "compromised," pointing out that he has defied the party's instructions.
Mann stated that if Chadha is unwilling to speak on issues such as the "deletion" of votes in West Bengal, stage a walkout from Parliament on important matters, or raise a voice against the arrest of several AAP volunteers and leaders in Gujarat, then he is going against the party line and defying the party whip.
During a press conference here, Mann was responding to questions about AAP MP Raghav Chadha, who had said that he had been "silenced, not defeated," a day after being removed as the party's deputy leader in the Rajya Sabha.
In response, the AAP accused Chadha of shying away from raising issues against the Centre in Parliament and instead engaging in "soft PR."
Criticising Chadha, AAP national media in-charge Anurag Dhanda questioned whether someone who "fears" Prime Minister Narendra Modi can fight for the country.
In response to the question of whether he believed Chadha was "compromised," Mann replied, "Yes." Mann stated that it is not uncommon for parties to change their leaders in Parliament.
Regarding Chadha's removal as the party's deputy leader in the Rajya Sabha, Mann said, "When I first won elections (in 2014 from Sangrur Lok Sabha), Dr (Dharamvira) Gandhi (the then AAP MP who is now with the Congress) was made leader of the party's parliamentary board. Later, I also served in this capacity. So, the party keeps taking such decisions."
In response to another question, Mann said, "When we sit as opposition members in Lok Sabha or Rajya Sabha, many decisions are taken collectively, like staging a walkout. But if anyone breaks the party line or does not obey, then it is against the whip. If you go against the party whip, then action will be taken."
In response to Chadha's remark about being "silenced," Mann said, "If there is a party line taken on any issue, like in Gujarat where cases have been registered against 160 AAP volunteers and leaders and if we have to speak on it, there are issues like MSP, GST and other issues, but if instead of speaking on those, someone raises issues of samosa rates, pizza delivery, won't you doubt that the person (Chadha) is speaking from some other station?"
In response to another query, Mann said they will raise a strong objection with the Gujarat chief minister over the arrest of AAP volunteers.
He said, "They have been arrested in false cases, and AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal has written a letter. When the Gujarat chief minister gives time to meet, we will go and raise a strong objection."
