E-Paper
Raghav Chadha on why he did not sign notice to impeach CEC: ‘Why blame me?’
AAP leaders, including Atishi and Saurabh Bhardwaj, said Raghav Chadha was hesitant to support the impeachment motion against the Chief Election Commissioner
AAP MP Raghav Chadha on Saturday released a fresh video responding to allegations made by his party members, including his alleged refusal to sign the Opposition's impeachment motion against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar in March.
Chadha's latest defence comes two days after he was dropped from the party deputy leader's position in the Rajya Sabha, and in the face of ongoing attacks from his party members for going "soft" against the ruling BJP.
In the video, titled "Ghayal hoon, isiliye ghatak hoon" ("wounded, thus more dangrous"), the Rajya Sabha MP from Punjab chose to defend against three allegations made by the party: his choosing to skip Opposition's walkouts; not signing a motion against the Chief Election Commissioner; and of being afraid of the BJP.
"They alleged that Raghav Chadha refused to sign the impeachment motion of the Chief Election Commissioner. Another blatant lie. No AAP leader told me to sign the motion, officially or unofficially," Chadha said in the video message.
He also claimed that while the Aam Aadmi Party has 10 MPs in the Upper House, 6 or 7 of them didn't sign the motion. He didn't name the other AAP MPs who he claimed didn't sign the motion.
"Where am I wrong and why is the entire blame on me?" he added.
He also reasoned that only 50 signatures were required for the motion to be introduced anyway, "which means out of 105 opposition MPs in Rajya Sabha, the motion would have complete with just 50 signatures".
The motion for the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar was submitted on March 13, with signatures from 130 Lok Sabha MPs and 63 Rajya Sabha MPs.
This is the first time in India's parliamentary history that a formal removal notice has been initiated against a sitting CEC. With the Budget Session currently adjourned, there has been no further movement on the notice.
AAP's claims over CEC motion
AAP leader Atishi had pointedly said Raghav Chadha was "afraid of the BJP and in raising questions to (PM Narendra) Modi ji”. She also asked why he skipped issues like “misuse” of Election Commission, and “vote chori” in Delhi.
She had said Chadha was hesitant to support the impeachment motion against the Chief Election Commissioner. "Today, our nation is passing through an immense crisis. There is a grave threat to our Constitution, the West Bengal election is being stolen through the blatant misuse of the Election Commission, yet you are not raising any questions; why are you seemingly afraid to speak out against it?" Atishi asked in a video, posted on X.
"When the TMC and other opposition parties bring forth an impeachment motion against the Election Commission, you refuse to sign it," she added.
Other AAP leaders too raised the same issue of choosing to not sign the motion. Delhi AAP President Saurabh Bharadwaj pointed out that while opposition moved a motion to impeach the CEC, Chadha did not sign it and had not participated in certain walkouts.
