AAP Slams Defecting MPs as ‘Traitors’, Alleges BJP Plot Behind Rajya Sabha Exodus

New Delhi, April 2026 : The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Friday launched a sharp attack on the group of seven Rajya Sabha MPs led by Raghav Chadha following their decision to exit the party and merge with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The party termed the move a “betrayal” and warned that the people of Punjab would not forgive those who had “stabbed them in the back.”

AAP’s top leadership, including party convenor Arvind Kejriwal and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, alleged that the defections were part of a larger conspiracy orchestrated by the BJP to weaken the party ahead of upcoming political contests.

In a brief but pointed remark, Kejriwal said, “The BJP has once again given Punjabis a shove,” indicating that the move would be seen as a direct affront to the electorate that had backed AAP in Punjab.

AAP’s Rajya Sabha leader Sanjay Singh went further, accusing the BJP of executing a calculated plan—often referred to as “Operation Lotus”—to engineer defections. He alleged that the strategy was being carried out under the leadership of Union Home Minister Amit Shah to destabilise the party.

Describing the defecting MPs as “traitors,” Sanjay Singh said the people of Punjab would respond strongly to what he called an act of deception. “Whenever the Aam Aadmi Party has been betrayed, the people have answered decisively. Punjab will give a fitting reply to this betrayal,” he asserted.

He also questioned the decision of the MPs to join the BJP, accusing the ruling party at the Centre of having a controversial track record on issues concerning farmers and governance. Singh argued that those who switched sides would struggle to justify their claims of standing for honesty and reform after aligning with the BJP.

AAP spokesperson Anurag Dhanda echoed similar sentiments, calling the development “a betrayal and deception of the highest order.” He said the electorate, particularly in Punjab, would hold the defectors accountable for abandoning the mandate given to them.

Meanwhile, AAP’s Punjab unit general secretary Baltej Pannu alleged that central agencies were being used systematically to pressure and weaken the party. He claimed that the BJP leadership had used Raghav Chadha as a “tool” to execute a broader plan aimed at engineering defections and undermining AAP’s political base.

The exodus of seven MPs—amounting to two-thirds of AAP’s strength in the Rajya Sabha—has dealt a significant blow to the party’s parliamentary presence. With Punjab being AAP’s only governing state, the political fallout of this split is expected to have far-reaching consequences.

As the political battle intensifies, AAP leaders have made it clear that they intend to take the fight to the people, framing the defections as a test of loyalty and accountability in the eyes of voters.