CHANDIGARH, APRIL 27 — The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) organized a series of large-scale demonstrations across Punjab on Sunday, condemning several Rajya Sabha members for their recent shift to the Bharatiya Janata Party. Protesters gathered at district headquarters and industrial sites to demand the immediate revocation of the MPs’ parliamentary positions, characterizing the defections as a violation of the public mandate.
Cabinet Minister Harbhajan Singh ETO stated that the Rajya Sabha seats were intended to amplify Punjab’s concerns in Parliament. He declared that the members failed their duty by aligning with the BJP and asserted that approximately three crore Punjabis had been betrayed. The minister maintained that central agencies were used as leverage to influence these leaders through “Operation Lotus” tactics.
During a demonstration in Lehragaga, Minister Barinder Goyal affirmed that the departures have not altered the state’s political landscape but have instead revealed the true character of the defectors. He stated that the party remains committed to its core ideology despite the shift. Minister Lal Chand Kataruchakk also declared that the MPs had undermined both the party and the state, noting that the BJP continues to utilize central agencies to disrupt opposition governance.
The protests featured slogans of “Punjab de Gaddar” and included a demonstration at the Trident Group against Rajinder Gupta. AAP representatives maintained that six of the seven members originally sent to the Rajya Sabha under the party’s mandate have now joined the BJP.
MLA Balkar Singh Sidhu affirmed that history would remember these leaders unfavorably for failing to uphold the trust of the electorate. He stated that the defectors would likely face political isolation in the future. Additionally, MLA Maninder Singh Giaspura declared that the membership of these individuals should be canceled because they were nominated based on the mandate given to the AAP, not through direct public election.
