CHANDIGARH, April 26 — The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) escalated its legal battle against seven former Rajya Sabha members on Sunday by filing a formal disqualification petition with Rajya Sabha Chairman C.P. Radhakrishnan. Senior AAP leader and MP Sanjay Singh affirmed that the lawmakers, who recently announced a merger with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), have violated the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution.
During a press conference, Singh stated that the party had engaged in thorough consultations with legal and constitutional experts before moving the petition. He mentioned that high-profile figures, including senior advocate Kapil Sibal and former Lok Sabha Secretary-General P.D.T. Achary, provided opinions confirming that the MPs are liable for termination of their membership. Singh declared that the anti-defection law does not recognize splits or breakaway factions within the legislature, even if they comprise a two-thirds majority.
The petition names high-profile defectors including Raghav Chadha, Harbhajan Singh, and Swati Maliwal, among others. Singh affirmed that the party has requested an immediate hearing to address what he described as an illegal and unconstitutional shift. He stated that the move by these members is a direct betrayal of the voters’ mandate and the democratic values upon which the party was founded.
AAP leadership maintained that the government in Punjab remains unified despite the departure of these representatives. Singh stated that those who have left under the pressure of the BJP will ultimately be held accountable by the public. He declared that the party expects a just and prompt decision from the Vice-President to uphold the integrity of the Upper House.
