Social activist Anna Hazare criticised the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leadership after Raghav Chadha and six other MPs resigned and announced their decision to join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Hazare said every individual has the right to make political choices, but urged the party to reflect on why leaders are leaving.
Speaking to reporters in Maharashtra’s Ahilyanagar district, Hazare said Chadha and others must have faced difficulties that pushed them to quit. He asserted that the party’s leadership bears responsibility for the exodus. “It is their fault. Had the party followed the right way, they would not have left,” he said.
Hazare, who worked closely with Arvind Kejriwal during the 2011 anti‑corruption movement, remarked that political departures often stem from deeper issues within a party’s functioning. “There must be some reason behind their decision. In a democracy, everyone has a view about where to stay and leave,” he added.
Chadha, a Rajya Sabha MP from Punjab, accused AAP of corruption and said the party had abandoned honest politics. “I gave AAP 15 years of my life. Today, the party is corrupt and compromised,” he said during a press conference announcing his exit.
The departure of Chadha and six MPs—forming two‑thirds of AAP’s strength in the Rajya Sabha—marks a major blow to the Kejriwal‑led party. Political observers believe the move could reshape alliances and influence AAP’s standing in national politics.
