Hazare criticises Raghav Chadha's reported move from the Aam Aadmi Party to the Bharatiya Janata Party, questioning the ethics of political defections for personal gain.
Key Points
- Anna Hazare criticises Raghav Chadha for allegedly switching from AAP to BJP, deeming it against constitutional values.
- Hazare emphasises that elected officials should act within the Constitution and avoid decisions based on personal gain.
- Hazare suggests Chadha and other AAP members likely faced issues within the party, leading to their departure.
- The alleged exodus led by Chadha marks a setback for the Aam Aadmi Party since its formation.
Social activist Anna Hazare on Saturday criticised Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha for parting ways from the Aam Aadmi Party and joining the Bharatiya Janata Party, saying that such political switching for personal interests is "not right" and not in line with constitutional values.
He emphasised that elected representatives must act within the spirit of the Constitution and avoid decisions driven by personal gain, stating the need to uphold democratic ethics.
Hazare's Critique of Political Defection
"Leaving one party and joining another party is not right. Changing political parties for our selfish needs is not the right thing. This is not mentioned in our Constitution. Our Constitution is supreme. Our country functions based on the Constitution," Hazare told ANI.
Hazare was the primary figurehead and ideological mentor for the Aam Aadmi Party's formation via his 2011 anti-corruption movement, though he later distanced himself from Arvind Kejriwal due to the move into mainstream politics.
Earlier, Hazare said Raghav Chadha and six other AAP Rajya Sabha members would not have quit the party had it followed the "right" path.
Chadha's Reported Exit From AAP
"Everyone has the right to hold an opinion in a democracy. They (Chadha and others) must have faced some trouble, which is why they left," Hazare told reporters on Friday in Ahilyanagar district of Maharashtra.
AAP Rajya Sabha members Raghav Chadha and Sandeep Pathak addressed a joint press conference in Delhi on Friday, announcing their exit from the Arvind Kejriwal-led party to join the BJP.
Chadha claimed that nearly two-thirds of AAP's Rajya Sabha members had quit the party and would function as a separate faction.
"It is their (AAP leadership's) fault. Had that party followed the right way, they would not have left," Hazare said.
Hazare's Perspective on AAP's Direction
Hazare reiterated that Chadha and others must have faced difficulties within AAP, and that is why they left. "Had the party gone in the right direction, they would not have quit the party," he added.
"There must be some or the other reason (for their leaving AAP). In a democracy, every person has a view about where to stay and leave," Hazare said.
The Chadha-led exodus marks a significant setback for the Kejriwal-led party since its formation in 2012, which followed the momentum of Anna Hazare's anti-corruption movement.
With inputs from PTI
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