While the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has been making tall claims of a huge victory in the upcoming Punjab Legislative Assembly elections, its own party members were seen thrashing each other and raising slogans against its own party leader Raghav Chadha, during a press conference held in Jalandhar on Friday, January 7, 2022.
Reportedly, a ruckus broke out during the press conference conducted by Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Raghav Chadha in Jalandhar, Punjab. The AAP leaders were reportedly seen surrounding Raghav Chadha and pushing and beating each other at the Jalandhar Press Club. The AAP volunteers also showed black flags and raised ‘Raghav Chadha chor hai’ slogans against the Punjab AAP co-in charge, who was in the city to address a press conference and to induct former Congress councillor Dinesh Dhall into the party fold.
The brewing discontent over ticket distribution is said to be the reason behind the huge ruckus that continued for about 45 to 50 minutes on Friday evening in Jalandhar, following which Raghav Chadha had to leave the place from the back door.
Jalandhar: Reportedly AAP Punjab co-incharge Raghav Chadha ran away after Contenders objected to Ticket sellingpic.twitter.com/x8DTCUyuKV
— MeghUpdates🚨™ (@MeghBulletin) January 7, 2022
In videos being widely shared on social media, the AAP party leaders can be seen pushing and thrashing each other at the Jalandhar Press Club.
Aam Aadmi Party ticket aspirants came to blows in Jalandhar, #Punjab when State party co-incharge @raghav_chadha came to address a press conference.
— Priti Gandhi – प्रीति गांधी (@MrsGandhi) January 7, 2022
Situation got so bad that he had to run away from the backdoor. Supporters were heard shouting – “Raghav Chadha chor hai!” pic.twitter.com/9TjCARTqpC
Ruckus in AAP press conference in Jalandhar held by state co-incharge Raghav Chadha earlier this evening. Reports of fist fights among workers and protesters over ticket distributions. pic.twitter.com/1tjLUqJNMn
— Man Aman Singh Chhina (@manaman_chhina) January 7, 2022
In another video of the incident shared by BJP leader Laxmikant Bhardwaj, AAP party members were heard raising “Raghav Chadha chor hain” slogans against their own party leader.
बहुत कूटा यार राघव चड्डा को तो … सुना है पंजाब में टिकट बेच रहा था …. ये धंधा संजय सिंह से सिखा ? pic.twitter.com/PtRcsrXWuJ
— Laxmikant bhardwaj (@lkantbhardwaj) January 7, 2022
According to reports, the ruckus started after the supporters of two-party ticket contenders- Dr Shiv Dyal Mali from Jalandhar West assembly segment and Dr Sanjeev Sharma from Jalandhar Central segment and the supporters of Raghav Chadha and Dinesh Dhall indulged in a scuffle and they manhandled each other.
The supporters of the two contenders alleged that Raghav Chadha brought some musclemen along with him when they were raising slogans against him. These musclemen manhandled them, the AAP workers said.
In what transpired, when Chadha was trying to enter the club on Friday evening around 4.30 pm, his own party workers started chanting ‘Raghav Chadha Chor hai’ and used unparliamentary language against him. They also accused him of making underhanded agreements to bring other corrupt individuals into the party fold.
Chadha then left and took a round in his car before returning again in a few minutes with a group of people, whom the protesting AAP volunteers dubbed as “musclemen”, and entered the press club.
Chadha then addressed the media, announcing the induction of Dinesh Dhall, a former Congress leader and two-term councillor into the party fold. The volunteers gathered around the entrance again as Chadha was going to leave the press club, but Chadha took the back door approach and sat in his vehicle. The volunteers recognised his vehicle and began bashing and running after it, but his driver accelerated the vehicle and sped away from the scene in a huff.
AAP chief promising freebies to woo voters ahead of Punjab Legislative Assembly elections
Meanwhile, the Aam Aadmi Party has claimed a big victory in the upcoming Punjab Legislative Assembly elections. The party is constantly trying to find its land before the elections in Punjab. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal himself has held several rallies flouting all COVID norms for the promotion of the party in Punjab.
Arvind Kejriwal is roaming in the streets of Punjab promising 300 free units of electricity, a cancellation of overdue electricity bills, and uninterrupted round-the-clock electricity. In a bid to win the assembly elections at any cost, Kejriwal has announced various populist schemes.
Recently, the Political Affairs Committee (PAC) had agreed to nominate Aam Aadmi Party MP Bhagwant Mann as the party’s chief ministerial candidate in the upcoming Punjab assembly elections.
