Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha on Thursday took a dig at his former party, the Aam Aadmi Party, over its questions regarding how his name was added to the Delhi electoral roll, saying the party was acting like an “ex-girlfriend” that had been unable to move on.
Responding to AAP’s repeated mentions of him, Chadha said the party was still “only dreaming” about him and taking his name despite the fact that he had moved on. “AAP is only dreaming of me and calling my name. AAP is behaving like an ex-girlfriend and the boyfriend has moved on,” Chadha said in Chandigarh.
“I hope they cut their nerve because of me,” he added.
His comments came after AAP approached the Election Commission seeking an explanation about the procedure through which Chadha’s name was added to Delhi’s electoral roll. The party has urged the poll panel to make the relevant Form 6 available publicly and allow people to raise objections.
AAP national media in-charge Anurag Dhanda asked the Election Commission to clarify when and where Chadha submitted Form 6, which is used to register a new voter.
Citing records from the Rajinder Nagar Assembly constituency, Dhanda claimed that Chadha’s name was absent from the Form 6 applications received between September 1 and 7.
“The Election Commission has stated that a voter can be added through Form 6, Form 7 or Form 8. If Chadha's name has been added through Form 6, the Election Commission should clarify when it was filed and where it is,” Dhanda said.
Dhanda also raised questions about Chadha’s placement at serial number 747, pointing out that the draft electoral roll released on August 31 had entries only until serial number 746, while the final electoral roll is due to be published on November 4.
“If Chadha has filed Form 6 in Delhi, the Election Commission should make it public and give people an opportunity to file objections, as is done in the case of any ordinary citizen,” Dhanda said.
The latest clash between Chadha and AAP comes months after his high-profile move from AAP to the BJP, creating yet another point of conflict between the increasingly hostile rivals. With the revision of electoral rolls currently underway, the dispute over Chadha’s voter registration has provided both parties with another opportunity to challenge each other’s political credibility.
CHADHA QUESTIONS AAP OVER DRUGS IN PUNJAB
While addressing the voter-list controversy, Chadha also criticised AAP’s performance in Punjab, particularly on the issue of drugs. Drawing a comparison between the availability of narcotics and essential commodities, he said the situation had deteriorated to the point where “the lines for drugs are similar to lines of ration”.
“In Punjab, the current situation on drugs is such that the lines for drugs are similar to the lines of ration,” Chadha said. He alleged that chitta was being delivered directly to people’s homes and claimed that drugs were being sold openly across towns and villages.
“There is home delivery of chitta. There is drug being sold in towns and villages. You give big advertisements that drugs are becoming less,” he said.
Chadha also questioned how authorities were dealing with people who speak publicly about the drug crisis, citing the recent suicide of Gulzar Singh in Sangrur.
“What was the fault of Gulzar Singh, who said his son was suffering because of drugs? If someone asks a question, he is being forced to commit suicide. Is asking a question a crime?” Chadha said.
He alleged that Gulzar Singh had been humiliated before consuming sulphas and said the incident had caused widespread anguish across Punjab. “Today every Punjabi is pained,” he said.
Chadha further alleged that BJP leaders who travelled to meet Gulzar Singh’s family were stopped by AAP workers and the administration.
He claimed that Punjab’s drug problem had worsened over the last 15 years and questioned the steps taken by the AAP government to tackle the issue. “In the past 15 years, drugs have increased. What has AAP done on drugs?” he asked.
