AAP seeks termination of defector MPs, lawmakers allege 'vendetta politics' as both sides meet President Murmu

New Delhi: Warring AAP and its defector MPs on Tuesday took their grievances separately to President Droupadi Murmu with the former demanding their termination as lawmakers and the latter accusing the Punjab government of indulging in "vendetta politics".

Separately, AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal sought "revenge" against the six MPs from Punjab during the upcoming Assembly elections in next February, claiming that the BJP has "hijacked" and "murdered" democracy in the country. Seven AAP MPs, including one from Delhi, had on April 24 defected to the BJP while the AAP had sought their disqualification.

The first to meet the President was four of the seven Rajya Sabha MPs who defected to the saffron camp -- Raghav Chadha, Sandeep Pathak, Rajendra Gupta and Ashok Mittal -- to complain about the AAP "misusing" the state machinery to target them, followed by Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, who demanded their "recall" as Rajya Sabha MPs.

During his meeting with the President, Mann demanded the termination of the membership of six defector MPs from Punjab besides seeking a Constitutional provision allowing for the recall of members. Submitting a memorandum, Mann said the action of the seven of the 10 MPs was tantamount to "murdering" the Constitution.

“Breaking parties through unconstitutional means and misusing central agencies like the ED-CBI to clean tainted leaders in the BJP's 'washing machine' is a direct assault on our democratic framework. We have made it clear that the cheap tactics of ‘Operation Lotus’ will never succeed,” he said.

After their meeting, Chadha told reporters that the AAP, which accuses everyone else of revenge politics, is itself indulging in "dangerous vendetta politics" and since April 24, they were being systematically targeted and harassed.

He said Harbhajan Singh had “traitor” written outside his house besides stones were thrown at his residence "with the help" of Punjab Police while Gupta had his factory targeted with the Punjab government cut off its water supply and the Pollution Board conducted raids to initiate its closure.

Cases that are "malicious and fabricated" have been registered against Pathak, he said, adding these FIRs are so "frivolous" that they are not worth the paper they are written on.

“We take strength from the President’s assurance that constitutional rights and democratic choices must be respected. AAP today behaves less like a political party and more like an obsessed, jilted ex -- bitter, vindictive, and unable to move on,” he said.

Addressing Punjab MLAs who accompanied Mann to Delhi, Kejriwal said “enemies have born from inside” and he is sure that Punjabis will stop them and save democracy.

“Seven people have gone. The BJP has indulged in theft. Of this, six Punjab seats have been taken away. You will have to take revenge for this in the elections in February,” he said.