Chandigarh: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Punjab has accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of attempting to create internal divisions within the party by allegedly using former senior leader and Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha as a “tool”.

At a press conference in Punjab, AAP’s chief spokesperson Baltej Pannu claimed that Union Home Minister Amit Shah, through Chadha, was trying to persuade party MPs to defect in order to weaken AAP’s presence in Parliament.

Pannu alleged that intelligence inputs received by the party suggested an attempt to break up to seven MPs, adding that incentives such as ministerial positions were being offered in return. He further claimed that central agencies like the Enforcement Directorate (ED) were being used to exert pressure on opposition lawmakers.

Reiterating the party’s stance, Pannu said AAP MPs remain united and committed to the organisation’s ideology, insisting that such efforts to destabilise the party would not succeed. He also said that the BJP has repeatedly tried to influence AAP legislators since the party came to power in Punjab.

Responding sharply to the allegations, the BJP dismissed them as baseless. Party leader Vineet Joshi described the claims as “a bundle of lies”, rejecting any suggestion of involvement in attempts to split the AAP.

The controversy comes amid internal tensions within AAP involving Raghav Chadha, who was recently replaced as Deputy Leader in the Rajya Sabha by MP Ashok Mittal. Chadha had earlier stated that he had been “silenced, not defeated”, while party leaders accused him of avoiding strong criticism of the central government.

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has also previously criticised Chadha, suggesting he was “compromised”.

AAP leaders further claimed that similar attempts to poach MLAs and pressure party members have been made in the past, particularly ahead of elections, though they insisted the party remains intact and focused on governance in Punjab.

The BJP, meanwhile, has denied all accusations and maintained that AAP is attempting to divert attention from governance issues through political allegations.