Union Minister Ravneet Singh Bittu has hit out at the Aam Aadmi Party, claiming that Raghav Chadha’s days as the party’s “ATM” are over, as the ongoing rift between the MP and the AAP leadership deepens. Speaking in Chandigarh, Bittu dismissed rumours that Chadha could join the BJP, instead framing the row as a sign of internal discord within AAP and an example of what he called a “use‑and‑throw” culture centred on Arvind Kejriwal.
What Bittu said about Chadha
Bittu alleged that Chadha “used to raise funds for Arvind Kejriwal” and had functioned as a key financier for the party, but now, in his view, that support channel has dried up. He claimed that Kejriwal has now “found a bank” instead of relying on Chadha, using the metaphor to suggest that the party leadership has moved on to newer sources of money or political backing. Bittu also accused Chadha of focusing on superficial issues in Parliament rather than Punjab’s core concerns, and warned that once a leader’s “utility” ends in AAP, they are swiftly sidelined.
Broader jab at AAP and Bhagwant Mann
Bittu extended his criticism beyond Chadha, labelling AAP’s functioning as a “one‑man show” where the party drops leaders once they no longer serve the central leadership. Pointing the finger at Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, he warned that Mann could also be treated similarly if he stops aligning with Kejriwal, suggesting that the AAP’s reliance on any single regional figure is conditional and expendable.
The comments come after AAP formally moved to remove Chadha as deputy leader of the party in the Rajya Sabha and limit his speaking role in the House, a step Chadha has called “baseless and maliciously motivated.” The war of words has now turned a once‑close aide of Kejriwal into a symbol of the party’s internal tensions, with Bittu’s “ATM” remark encapsulating the opposition’s narrative of money‑driven, personality‑centric politics within AAP.
