CHANDIGARH: Within hours of Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha responding to his removal as the AAP’s deputy leader in the Rajya Sabha with a video message titled “Silenced, Not Defeated”, Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann on Friday called him “compromised”.Mann, while speaking to the media in Chandigarh, suggested that Chadha had deviated from the party’s legislative agenda and failed to adhere to the official whip, effectively “speaking from some other station”. He criticised Chadha for raising issues such as the price of samosas at airports while ignoring core priorities, such as GST funds for Punjab and minimum support price (MSP). When prodded further on whether he believed Chadha was “compromised”, Mann replied, “Yes.” In a press statement, Chadha countered that the issues he raised were rooted in the reality of the common man. These included overpriced goods at airports, the plight of gig workers, the “loot” at toll plazas, hidden bank charges, and food adulteration. He said he also highlighted the billing practices of telecom companies, such as the 28-day cycle that forces 13 recharges a year and the blocking of calls immediately upon recharge expiry.
“My speaking has benefitted the common man. So, how exactly did it cause a loss to the Aam Aadmi Party? Why would anyone want to silence me?” he asked. Chadha stated that every time he raised public issues in Parliament, citizens encouraged him. He added that attempts to restrict his platform should not be mistaken for defeat. “Silence,” he said, “is not surrender. It is the quiet gathering of strength.” However, Mann maintained his stance: “If the party gives a line to raise specific issues such as the deletion of valid votes, or Punjab’s concerns regarding the Rural Development Fund (RDF) and GST, but someone raises the price of samosas or pizza delivery times, won’t it raise doubts that he is talking from a different station?” Mann slams BJP over Chd blast blame Asked about BJP raising questions at the AAP govt over the blast outside the BJP office in Chandigarh, CM Bhagwant Mann said, “For them, whatever is wrong in the country is because of Jawaharlal Nehru and Lal Bahadur Shastri, and even BR Ambedkar is criticised for aspects of the Constitution. If something goes wrong in Chandigarh, then Bhagwant Mann is blamed, and in Delhi, it is Arvind Kejriwal’s fault.” He added, “BJP is running away from its responsibility by shifting this onus on political rivals, whereas from Rs 15 lakh promise to MSP, nothing has been delivered.” He asserted, “BJP should not evade responsibility by playing word games and using stooges to target opponents.” He added that the Punjab Police will cooperate with Chandigarh Police to investigate the blast. ‘Operate from Hry’: CM on arhtiyas meeting Saini Responding to a delegation of protesting arhtiyas (commission agents) from Punjab meeting with Haryana CM Nayab Singh Saini over their pending demands, CM Bhagwant Mann suggested that if the agents preferred the neighbouring state’s policies, they should relocate their operations there. “Then they should operate in Haryana,” Mann remarked, adding that the neighbouring state’s wheat procurement volume does not even match that of a single Punjab district like Sangrur. He said that their primary demand for a higher commission — specifically the restoration of the 2.5% rate — falls under the jurisdiction of the BJP-led Centre. Mann noted that the agents should have directed their grievances toward the BJP’s Haryana chief minister, rather than using the meeting as a platform to pressure the Punjab govt during the peak procurement season.
