Malvinder Singh Kang, Aam Aadmi Party MP from Anandpur Sahib in Punjab, criticized seven Rajya Sabha MPs who defected to the BJP, and indirectly criticized the party’s former deputy leader in the Senate, Ashok Kumar Mittal.
Kang accused all seven MPs of “betraying” AAP, a party that “gave them so much respect”.
“They have joined the political party that always tries to divide society,” he claimed while speaking to reporters.
Kang said the seven MPs – six of whom were elected from Punjab by MLAs – joined the BJP for their “personal interests”.
Ashok Kumar Mittal, owner of Lovely Professional University in Jalandhar, also criticized, without mentioning his name, saying: “Some of them were afraid of central agencies.”
“We feel they have vested interests. Some of them were afraid of central agencies like the Enforcement Directorate. They changed sides to save their businesses,” the AAP leader said.
ED raid on LPU
Conducted by Enforcement Directorate (ED). Large-scale raids on Lovely Professional University (LPU) and multiple properties linked to its founder, chancellor and former AAP Rajya Sabha MP, Ashok Kumar Mittal, who was still with the party at the time and had in fact been appointed deputy leader of the RS by replacing the rebel Raghav Chadha.
Emergency department raids began on April 15. According to reports, the inspections were part of an investigation into suspected violations of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA).
The investigation reportedly focused on offshore financial transactions and potential money laundering activities involving the Lovely Group.
The raids took place soon after Mittal was appointed deputy leader of the AAP in the Rajya Sabha, replacing Raghav Chadha.
The operation lasted about three days With some searches ending by April 17.
Just ten days after the raids, Mittal joined the BJP, along with Chadha and five other Rajya Sabha members of the party.
These include MPs Sandeep Pathak, Harbhajan Singh, Rajendra Gupta and Vikramjit Sahni, all from Punjab, and Swati Maliwal, who was elected from Delhi. The dissidents claimed that the party had deviated from its basic principles, values and morals.
Rajya Sabha Chairman C P Radhakrishnan on Monday It formally accepted the merger of seven AAP MPs with the BJP, reducing Arvind Kejriwal’s party’s strength in the Senate to three. The party has three Lok Sabha MPs.
On Raghav Chadha
On Sunday, Malvinder Kang targeted Raghav Chadha, Confirming that he enjoyed enormous power, which ultimately proved to be a setback for the party. “I feel the party made a mistake by giving too much power… We should have kept an eye on Raghav Chadha,” Kang said in an interview with the Indian Express, adding that he saw Chadha interfering in CM Bhagwant Mann’s decisions. The party has consistently denied any such interference.
Malvinder Kang supports Bhagwant Mann
Malvinder Kang said the AAP government in Punjab remains firm.
“The MLAs of Punjab stand firm with Bhagwant Mann and AAP will continue to serve the people of the state,” Kang said in response to another question.
