New Delhi, April 4 The spat between the Aam Aadmi Party and its Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha intensified on Saturday, with the sidelined leader dismissing AAP's allegations against him as "lies" and asserting that he went to Parliament to raise people's issues and not to create chaos.
"All these lies will be exposed. Because I am wounded, therefore I am dangerous," the MP said in a video statement, quoting from the movie 'Dhurandhar', and alleged that there was a "coordinated" attack against him.
His reaction came a day after the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) launched a full-fledged offensive, accusing him of shying away from raising his voice against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Centre in Parliament and instead engaging in "soft PR". The AAP had removed him as its deputy leader in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday, after which the MP had said he had been "silenced, not defeated".
Chadha on Saturday countered claims by AAP leaders that he did not join opposition walkouts, had refused to sign the notice for a motion to remove the Chief Election Commissioner, and that he was "afraid" to raise issues.
He said that he did not want to respond, but that if he had remained silent, the repeated lies might have appeared true to some.
"The first allegation they made against me was that I did not walk out with the opposition. This is a white lie, and I challenge you (AAP) to give me one example, one incident, where the opposition walked out and I didn't support them," Chadha said.
"There are CCTV cameras everywhere in the parliament. Show me the footage and it will become clear," Chadha said.
On the notice for a motion against the Chief Election Commissioner, Chadha said that no party leader had asked him, either formally or informally, to sign it.
He said that several other MPs from his party had also not signed the motion.
"So, what is my fault? Why am I being blamed here?" he said, noting that 50 signatures were needed for the notice and there were 105 MPs in the opposition.
"They said I am scared and that is why I am raising useless issues. I want to tell you that I did not go to parliament to create chaos, scream, break the microphone, or abuse. I went there to raise the problems of the people," the MP said.
"From Punjab's water issues to air pollution in Delhi, the poor conditions of government schools, and the problems faced by passengers travelling in trains... I raised such issues," he said.
The MP said his focus in Parliament has been on raising public issues like GST, income tax, public healthcare, education, railway passenger issues, menstrual health, unemployment, and inflation.
Chadha said that he goes to Parliament to "create impact, not chaos," as it runs on taxpayers' money, and it is his responsibility to highlight their concerns.
"I just want to say that all three allegations, all these lies, will be exposed. All questions will be answered," Chadha said in the video statement titled "Three Allegations. Zero Truth".
AAP's Punjab unit, however, alleged on Saturday that the MP, who was elected from the state to the Upper House, had remained "silent" on crucial issues related to Punjab like GST losses and flood relief.
In a joint statement, Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema, state AAP president Aman Arora, and party leader Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal said that all these issues were repeatedly conveyed to Chadha, "but he did not speak even once before the prime minister on these issues. This clearly shows a compromise."
"AAP gives opportunities to common people, but remaining silent on such crucial issues is a betrayal of Punjab and its people," Cheema said.
Punjab AAP president and Cabinet minister Aman Arora also lambasted Chadha, saying, "He must remember the role played by Arvind Kejriwal and the party in elevating him politically."
"But instead of focusing on Punjab's pressing issues, he chose to raise unrelated matters, which the entire country noticed."
"Raghav Chadha should introspect and remember the party's core mission of standing up against injustice and advocating for people's rights," Arora said.