The 1977 movement will be repeated, says AAP MP Raghav Chadha.
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Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP and member of the political affairs committee (PAC), the highest decision-making body of the party, Raghav Chadha, said, “All differences and grudges” with the Opposition party leaders have been placed in cold storage “to save the country”.
The senior AAP leader said this in response to a question about the party’s stand on political figures such as Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, NCP patriarch Sharad Pawar and former Congress leader Kapil Sibal whom AAP had, before joining the Opposition alliance INDIA, accused of several misdemeanours, including corruption.
“The differences, grudges, and personal ambitions have been buried. We have had differences and grudges against some people and they held grudges against us. All that has been put in cold storage only to save the country. I think we have to rise above party politics sometimes to come together for the larger cause,” Mr. Chadha told The Hindu.
He also said that AAP will continue to be a part of INDIA, irrespective of the fate of the services Bill, which has been cleared in the Lok Sabha and is scheduled to be presented in the Rajya Sabha on Monday.
The Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, 2023, was passed in the Lok Sabha on August 3, even as the Opposition staged a walkout. The Bill, which replaces an ordinance promulgated by the Centre on May 19, gives the Centre-appointed Lieutenant-Governor control over the transfers and postings of civil servants in Delhi.
‘History being repeated’
The AAP MP termed the INDIA alliance a repeat of the “1977 movement” when several Opposition parties came together to successfully contest the general election against the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
“They say history repeats itself. Indeed, it is about to repeat itself. The BJP is scared and it shows through the uncharitable remarks they have made about the alliance. AAP is, and will continue to remain, a part of the alliance,” he said.
“The BJP is rattled by the alliance and is trying to drive a wedge between the Opposition parties by making statements that some of them are going to leave INDIA. It shows how scared they are,” the PAC member said.
He added that the issue of seat sharing with its former rival Congress is yet to come up for discussion. Mr. Chadha did not comment on how many seats AAP was willing to concede to the Congress in Delhi and Punjab.