‘People of Punjab don’t like traitors’

On the other hand, Mann said he told Murmu that there should be an amendment in the Constitution to allow people to exercise the right to recall their elected representatives. He also said the AAP had moved court against these defections.

Accompanied by 90 MLAs who waited outside Rashtrapati Bhavan as a show of strength, Mann said he met the President to tell her that the defection of seven MPs to the BJP was a “murder of democracy.”

“Seven MPs broke away at will and said they became a different party. This is unconstitutional. How can they just walk over? The party should either pass a resolution stating that two-thirds of MPs have decided to join another party. What they have done is a mockery. In Punjab, the BJP now has two MLAs and six Rajya Sabha members. Is this not a mockery of the Constitution?” he asked.

“She said she will speak to experts on the Constitution and she will come out with a solution. I told her that they are trying to change the Constitution. They scare other political parties by using ED, CBI, and other agencies,” Mann told reporters after meeting Murmu.

He said the rebel MPs should have resigned before defecting and that the AAP would have chosen seven other members.

“They should have been elected from the new party. Or there should be an option of recall. There should be an amendment to the Constitution. Already, many amendments have taken place. All our MLAs are with me. They were elected by the people. The MLAs, in turn, elected Rajya Sabha members. The mandate of the people was with AAP. People of Punjab do not like traitors.”

‘They don’t have an umbrella’

Reacting to the rebel MPs’ allegations of vendetta being unleashed on them by the Punjab Government, Mann said, “If they have gone to the BJP, that does not mean they cannot be booked. They do not have a security shield. I told the President that the BJP-led Centre keeps inducting tainted and rebel leaders of other parties, and then cases are withdrawn”.

“But this will not happen in Punjab. If we get a report of any misuse of power, then the Punjab Police will book them. If they have gone to the BJP, that does not mean they cannot be booked. They do not have an umbrella. They can hide anywhere, including other states, but not in Punjab. I was hearing him (Chadha) say they have police from 21 states. Are they trying to threaten us? Punjabis do not tolerate this.”

“There is a difference between elected and selected representatives. These are selected. They used to say this was a party of goondas, who try to intimidate leaders of political parties. Now, they have themselves joined that party.”

Mann also pointed out the searches against Ashok Mittal’s house and his establishment. “Two days later, he got Y security. What has happened? Prime Minister Narendra Modi keeps calling the person a scamster, then administers the oath of office as deputy CM. This is how the BJP functions. Chadha has been saying the BJP has a washing machine and they wash the leaders in detergent. Now, he has himself gone there.”

Mann had earlier in the day led AAP MLAs to Delhi. “All the MLAs are with me. They are standing like a rock. I told Madam that they are standing outside. She said I am their representative and this letter has their signatures. She said this would suffice.”

‘Government machinery is being misused’

On his part, Chadha said he told the President that Punjab had unleashed vendetta on them after they switched over following a democratic process. “We made use of a Constitutional process. Then why are we being targeted? Sandeep Pathak is booked in two cases by the Punjab Police, the Pollution Board raided Rajinder Gupta, and I may be the next in line to be booked.”

“But at the same time, I want to tell the AAP government in Punjab that they are ruling only one state and have the police of only one state. The BJP is ruling 21 states and has the police of 21 states.”

He said the President assured them that they would get protection from her as well as the Constitution.

“The CM has the right to come here. But I want to say the way government machinery is being misused, it is unconstitutional. The business community is hurt. The way the Pollution Control Board conducted a raid on Gupta’s factory premises and issued him a notice has hurt the businessmen. Why would they stay put in Punjab amid this kind of environment?” Chadha asked.

Chadha said several agencies were hired by misusing the funds of the Punjab Government to unleash social media terror on them. “There are agencies which are targeting us, our families. I had already said the AAP has a toxic environment. Those who go to Rajghat and take shelter under Mahatma Gandhi misuse the Punjab government machinery.”

Sandeep Pathak said they joined the AAP because it had shown them the “dream of honest and upright politics”. “I decided to change my party because I was disillusioned there. Now they are registering FIRs against us and raiding factories. I want to tell them to file an FIR. Do not backtrack. We will all fight these out legally. You cannot save the government by doing all this. If you want to save this government, then work honestly.”