Chandigarh, April 4 (NationPress) Leaders of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), including Punjab's Finance Minister Harpal Cheema, State AAP President Aman Arora, and legislator Kuldeep Dhaliwal, have fiercely criticized Rajya Sabha member Raghav Chadha for his inability to address crucial issues facing the state in Parliament.

They pointed out that significant concerns such as the Rs 8,500 crore due from the Rural Development Fund, Rs 60,000 crore in GST losses, and Rs 1,600 crore for flood relief were overlooked, despite numerous attempts to communicate these matters.

Labeling this inaction as a betrayal to the people of Punjab and their mandate, the AAP leaders stated in a press release that Chadha's failure to voice the worries of farmers and the hardships faced by flood victims reveals a stark detachment from the realities on the ground.

Minister Cheema raised questions about Chadha's representation in Parliament, stating, "Raghav Chadha was elected to the Rajya Sabha by Punjab's MLAs with the expectation that he would robustly advocate for the state's issues at the national level. However, he has completely neglected to raise even one sensitive topic related to Punjab."

Delving into the financial challenges, the Finance Minister emphasized, "He (Raghav Chadha) has not addressed several pressing matters, including the pending Rural Development Fund (RDF) amount of nearly Rs 8,500 crore, enormous GST-related losses to Punjab totaling around Rs 60,000 crore since its inception, and additional financial losses of Rs 5,000-6,000 crore due to adjustments in GST compensation. Furthermore, the funds under the National Health Mission have also not been sufficiently covered."

On the topic of flood relief, Minister Cheema stated, "Even after Prime Minister Modi's announcement of Rs 1,600 crore in relief for Punjab following the catastrophic floods, not a single rupee has reached Punjab's treasury. All these issues have been repeatedly brought to Raghav Chadha's attention, yet he has failed to raise any of them in Parliament."

Expressing his disappointment, the Minister remarked, "We (AAP) placed our trust in Raghav Chadha when we sent him to the Rajya Sabha, but he has not spoken even once before the Prime Minister regarding these crucial issues. This evidently indicates a compromise. The Aam Aadmi Party is committed to empowering the common man, but remaining silent on such vital matters is a betrayal of Punjab and its citizens."

Punjab AAP President Arora insisted that Chadha should recall the significant role that Arvind Kejriwal and the party played in his political ascent.

"Instead of prioritizing Punjab's urgent issues such as the outstanding RDF funds and flood relief, he (Raghav Chadha) opted to discuss unrelated topics, which has not gone unnoticed by the nation," he added.