Raghav Chadha arrives at Rashtrapati Bhavan to meet President Murmu

Raghav Chadha and other BJP Rajya Sabha MPs met President Droupadi Murmu alleging Punjab AAP government misuse of resources against defectors Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann also planned meeting over alleged illegal defection of seven MPs amid escalating political confrontation row

New Delhi: BJP Rajya Sabha member Raghav Chadha, who recently switched from the AAP, arrived at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Tuesday morning to discuss concerns with President Droupadi Murmu regarding the alleged misuse of state resources by the AAP-led government in Punjab.

Chadha, along with three other Rajya Sabha members, is anticipated to file a complaint alleging discriminatory actions against leaders who transitioned from AAP to the BJP. The meeting is planned before a separate discussion between Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and the President later that same day.

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Chadha has claimed that the Punjab government is participating in a “political vendetta” by allegedly utilising police and administrative resources to target MPs who recently left AAP to join the BJP. He is likely to emphasise specific instances of legal action, including police cases against some of the defectors, asserting that these actions are retaliatory in nature.

Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann will meet President Droupadi Murmu to raise the issue of what he described as “illegal” and “unlawful defection” by seven Rajya Sabha MPs, including six from Punjab, while asserting that such “actions amount to a betrayal of the people’s mandate”.

As of April 2026, seven Rajya Sabha MPs, Raghav Chadha, Ashok Mittal, Sandeep Pathak, Harbhajan Singh, Vikram Sahney, Swati Maliwal and Rajinder Gupta, have defected from the Aam Aadmi Party to the Bharatiya Janata Party, dealing a major blow to the AAP as its strength in the Upper House plunged from 10 to just 3.

Chief Minister Mann earlier told the media that they have received confirmation from the Rashtrapati Bhawan and “we will meet the President of India to raise the issue of illegal and unlawful defection by seven Rajya Sabha MPs”. These MPs who have disrespected the mandate of the people deserve no mercy as they are the traitors of Punjab and Punjabis, he said.

The Chief Minister added, “Those who are terming this defection as the order of the day or a tradition are justifying a grave disregard for the people’s verdict. This is unacceptable, and those speaking in such a manner appear to be preparing to shift their allegiance.”