"Party has a toxic work environment": Raghav Chadha's first attack on AAP after joining BJP

Bharatiya Janata Party BJP MP Raghav Chadha on Monday announced his exit from the political party he cofounded alleging a toxic work environment and claiming that internal functioning had deteriorated significantly in recent yearsIn a selfmade video statement Chadha said he entered politics after leaving a promising career as a Chartered Accountant and dedicated nearly 15 years of his prime youth to building the party reported ANII didnt come into politics to build a career I became a founding member of a political party I gave fifteen years of my prime youth to this party Chadha said in the videoHowever he alleged that the organisation had changed over time claiming that it was no longer functioning in its original spiritBut today this party is no longer the same old party Today theres a toxic work environment in this party You are stopped from working You are stopped from speaking in Parliament he saidChadha further alleged that the party had fallen under the control of a few corrupt and compromised people who were working for personal interests rather than public service reported ANIFor the last few years I felt that perhaps Im the right man but in the wrong party he added outlining three options he had considered before deciding to leaveHe said the options included quitting politics altogether continuing within the party to attempt internal reform or moving to another political platform to pursue constructive politicsRaghav Chadha claims wider dissent as 7 MPs quit AAP BJP strength rises in Rajya SabhaAccording to ANI Chadha also claimed that a total of seven Members of Parliament had decided to sever ties with the party suggesting a wider dissatisfaction within the organisationOne man can be wrong two people can be wrong but seven people cannot be wrong he said in the videoHe further assured that despite his exit he would continue to raise public issues with greater energy and commitment in the futureEarlier in the day BJP s strength in Rajya Sabha has increased to 113 after Chairman CP Radhakrishnan approved the merger of Raghav Chadha and six other MPs who quit the Aam Aadmi Party AAP as per ANILosing twothirds of its MPs has been a big setback for the AAP which is now reduced to a strength of three members in the Upper House of ParliamentThe trio of MPsRaghav Chadha Sandeep Pathak and Ashok Mittalparted ways with the AAP on Friday and subsequently joined the BJP in the presence of party leadership Harbhajan Singh Rajinder Gupta Vikramjit Singh Sahney and Swati Maliwal had also switched to the BJPAAP moves disqualification plea cites antidefection law in MP merger rowMeanwhile AAP MP Sanjay Singh had officially petitioned the Rajya Sabha Chairman CP Radhakrishnan to disqualify seven MPsThe petition challenged the purported merger under paragraph 4 of the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution and sought the disqualification of the MPs under its paragraph 21aParagraph 2 of the Tenth Schedule deals with disqualification on the ground of defection Subparagraph 1 provides that subject to the provisions of paragraphs 4 and 5 a member of a House belonging to any political party shall be disqualified from being a member of the House Clause a of this subparagraph further specifies that such disqualification occurs if the member has voluntarily given up membership of that political partySingh challenged the validity of the merger citing the requirements in the Constitution reported ANIHowever as per the Tenth Schedule a disqualification of MPs cannot take place in case an original political party merges with another political party given that the merger includes twothirds of the members The seven AAP MPs fulfilled this condition as they shook hands with the BJPThe move has triggered furious reactions from AAP leaders who termed it a s betrayal while drawing a warm welcome from the BJP reported ANIInputs from ANI