MP Raghav Chadha's Z-plus security cover withdrawn by Punjab govt

Chandigarh: Days after a verbal spat between MP Raghav Chadha and the AAP over his removal from the post of deputy leader in the Rajya Sabha, the Punjab government has withdrawn his Z-plus category security cover, it has been learnt.

Chadha is a Rajya Sabha MP from Punjab and was accorded by the state government a Z-plus category security cover.

The cover was withdrawn a few days ago, sources said.

The Aam Aadmi Party on April 2 announced the replacement of Chadha with MP Ashok Mittal for the post of deputy leader in Rajya Sabha.

Chadha said he had been "silenced, not defeated", attracting a retort by his party, which accused him of engaging in "soft PR" and restraining himself from raising his voice against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Centre in Parliament.

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said he believed Chadha was "compromised" for denying the party whip.

"If Chadha is unwilling to speak on issues like the 'deletion' of votes in West Bengal, stage a walkout from Parliament on important issues or raise a voice against the arrest of several AAP volunteers and leaders in Gujarat, then it is breaking the party line and going against the party whip," Mann earlier said.

Punjab AAP leaders, including Cabinet minister Harpal Singh Cheema, too attacked Chadha, accusing him of failing to raise the state's issues in Parliament.

Responding earlier, Chadha shared a video showing his interventions on key issues affecting Punjab.

Meanwhile, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and Congress criticised the AAP government over the withdrawal of Chadha's Z-plus security cover.

SAD leader Bikram Singh Majithia alleged that a government which claims to represent ordinary households has completely "politicised" the Punjab Police.

He demanded that the DGP explain the grounds Chadha was earlier granted security and now its withdrawal.

"Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and Arvind Kejriwal are misusing the Punjab Police on a large scale for political interests. While police and vigilance agencies are being used against political opponents, the force is not being deployed adequately for the safety of Punjab's people," Majithia alleged in a statement.

He claimed that Chadha was also given a residence in Chandigarh.

Leader of the Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa said the BJP and AAP may pretend to be at loggerheads, but they are two sides of the same coin, "misusing agencies" to settle political scores.

"When it suits them, they scratch each other's back, the security cover to Raghav Chadha exposes this convenient nexus," he said.

"Both have conveniently buried cases like DIG Harcharan Singh Bhullar and (former minister) Laljit Singh Bhullar, where no real action has been taken. People can see through this charade, this isn't law taking its course , it's pure 'noora kushti'. Punjabis know that it is collusive politics," Bajwa said on X.