"Raghav Chadha cured of Modia-bind": Congress' Abhishek Dutt amid AAP defection row

"Everyone knows Raghav Chadha is a compromised person. He went to London to get his eye treated. When he returned from London, he was cured of 'Modia-bind' (motiyabind/cataract). Not cataract, but 'Modia-bind'. Now he sees the country through the eyes of Modi ji," Dutt told ANI.

He used the term 'Modia-bind' to suggest that Chadha's political perception had changed after coming back from London.

He further alleged that both the BJP and AAP have failed to empower grassroots workers.

"See, I feel very sad for some good workers of Aam Aadmi Party and many workers of Bharatiya Janata Party, who never get a taste of power," the Congress leader said.

Attacking the BJP, Dutt alleged that leaders earlier labelled as corrupt are now holding key positions in government.

"Look at the Bharatiya Janata Party; all the corrupt leaders whom Modi ji used to call corrupt are today sitting as ministers, MPs, and MLAs in the government," he said.

Criticising AAP, the Congress leader alleged that Rajya Sabha nominations have gone to wealthy individuals rather than party workers.

"Rajya Sabha seats are obtained by paying money. Who are the people whom the Aam Aadmi Party has sent to the Rajya Sabha? Big industrialists, hoteliers, owners of big universities, and sports persons. Did Aam Aadmi Party send any of its grassroots workers?" Dutt said.

Dutt further said it was unfortunate that parties which received public mandate were allegedly "selling seats instead of rewarding workers".

"It feels very sad that people believed them and gave a huge public mandate to work, not to sell seats. So when a traitor calls someone else a traitor, I also feel like laughing after seeing it," he added.

His remarks come after the trio of MPs--Raghav Chadha, Sandeep Pathak and Ashok Mittal--parted ways with the AAP on Friday and subsequently joined the BJP in the presence of party leadership.

Addressing a presser in the national capital, Chadha informed that Sandeep Pathak, Harbhajan Singh, Rajinder Gupta, Vikramjit Singh Sahney and Swati Maliwal have also switched to the BJP.

Chadha said that they have informed the Chairman of the House, in accordance with the rules, of leaving the party. He formalised a split that had been building for weeks, announcing that two-thirds of the party's Upper House members would merge with the BJP.

On Saturday, after his exit from AAP, Chadha alleged that the party has deviated from its core principles and no longer provides space for honest workers.

Following this, the Aam Aadmi Party's Youth Wing on Saturday staged aggressive protests against the seven Rajya Sabha MPs who recently merged with the BJP.

Demonstrators targeted the residences of these MPs, branding them "Gaddar" (traitor) in a series of coordinated demonstrations across Punjab. (ANI)