‘Operation Lotus’: AAP’s first reaction after Raghav Chadha and 6 other Lok Sabha MPs join Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)

New Delhi: The Aam Aadmi Party has strongly condemned the move of Raghav Chadha and six other members of the Lok Sabha, who quit the party on Friday and decided to join the Bharatiya Janata Party. Accusing the BJP of launching “Operation Lotus”, AAP MP Sanjay Singh said this was a targeted attempt to “hinder the good work of the Bhagwant Mann government in Punjab”. “I want to tell Modi and Amit Shah about the dirty games you played with the Aam Aadmi Party and the people of Punjab and your attempts to stop the Bhagwant Mann government and hinder its work. The people of Punjab will never forgive you for this betrayal and deceit. Everyone is watching what is happening and how things are being done. My heart is deeply hurt and sad today because a good government is functioning in Punjab. Bhagwant Mann has done good work for the people there in the fields of education, health, electricity, water supply and provided employment opportunities to the government, but this ‘Operation Lotus’ is against the government,” he said.He further claimed that “ED and CBI” were used to execute this “Operation Lotus”.He added: “The BJP has hindered the good works done by the AAP government led by CM Bhagwant Mann in Punjab… 7 AAP Rajya Sabha MPs are joining the BJP and the people of Punjab should remember these 7 names. The people of Punjab will never forget them.”Earlier, Chadha said he was quitting the AAP and preparing to “merge” with the Bharatiya Janata Party, which also includes Rajya Sabha members Swati Maliwal, Harbhajan Singh, Sandeep Pathak, Ashok Mittal, Rajinder Gupta and Vikram Sahni. “I tell you the real reason why I stay away from party activities. I don’t want to be a part of their crimes. I am not qualified to have friendship with them as I am not involved in their crimes. We have only two options – either quit politics and give up the public work of the past 15-16 years or use our energy and experience to be active in politics. Therefore, we have decided that we, the 2/3 members of the AAP affiliated with the Lok Sabha, exercise the provisions of the Constitution of India and merge with the BJP,” Raghav Chadha said at a press conference.