Raghav Chadha, an Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP from Punjab, has been granted Z+ security cover by the Center after the Punjab government withdrew it amid his rift with the AAP, according to several reports citing sources.
For now, the Delhi Police has been ordered to provide immediate security for Chadha until a central arrangement is formally established, India Today reported, saying the move comes after an intelligence agency’s threat assessment recommended beefing up his security.
Although specific details about the nature of the central protection cover have not been officially revealed, the move is said to have raised eyebrows in political circles.
Removal of Raghav Chadha as deputy leader in RS
AAP removed Raghav Chadha as its deputy leader in the Rajya Sabha on April 2. He was replaced by Punjab MP Ashok Kumar Mittal. According to the party, the decision was part of a leadership reshuffle, amid reports of internal party friction and his absence from key events.
Raghav Chadha on Friday said he had been “silenced, not defeated”, prompting a sharp reaction from his party, which accused him of avoiding criticism of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Center in Parliament and instead indulging in “soft PR”. However, He claimed that He would strike back like a mighty “sail” (flood) – at the right time.
“Meri Khamoshi Ko Meri Haar Mat Samajh Lena, Main wo Dariya Hun Jo Waqt Aane Par Sailab Banta hai (Don’t take my silence for my defeat, I am a river that will turn into a destructive flood when the time comes,” Chadha recited a couplet for those who “stole his right to speak and silenced” him.
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann attacked Chadha, saying he was “compromised” and noted that he had acted against a party whip.
Delhi AAP president Saurabh Bharadwaj also accused Chadha of not following the party’s stand on many issues in Parliament and of skipping opposition speeches on important issues. He further alleged that Chadha did not adequately address issues related to Punjab, the state he represents, and blamed him for not being present during key events, including the arrest of AAP leader and former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.
ED raids against Mittal
Meanwhile, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday conducted searches at commercial and residential properties of Mittal in Punjab and Haryana as part of the investigation under FEMA, officials said, according to PTI.
About 10 places in Jalandhar and Gurugram have been covered under the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA)
These were the premises of Lovely Professional University (LPU) based in Phagwara and also two affiliated institutions – Tetr College of Business and Masters Union College of Business in Gurugram. Officials added that the 61-year-old AAP leader is serving as LPU chancellor in Phagwara.
