Punjab: AAP MP Raghav Chadha appointed chairman of advisory panel, opposition calls him 'de facto CM'

The Punjab government on Monday appointed Aam Aadmi Party MP Raghav Chadha as the chairman of a temporary advisory panel -- a move that has evoked sharp reaction from the opposition parties.

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann cleared the file regarding Chadha's appointment as chairman of the advisory committee on Monday, said a spokesperson of the Chief Minister's Office (CMO).

Rajya Sabha member, Raghav Chadha, who is a chartered accountant by profession, is expected to play an essential role in financial planning and making Punjab a debt-free state, said the spokesperson.

In the new role, Chadha will shoulder the responsibility of overseeing the conception and implementation of pro-people initiatives of the AAP government in Punjab and advise the government on matters related to finance.

Punjab Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring on Monday slammed the Bhagwant Mann-led government, accusing him of ceding too much power to Chadha through the committee.

Warring said appointing Chadha as chairman of the advisory panel is tantamount to making him the chief minister of Punjab.

"Punjabis did not vote for this change. It seems @BhagwantMann ji has handed over the Punjab government on contract,? Warring said in a tweet.

ਰਾਘਵ ਚੱਢਾ ਨੂੰ ਸਲਾਹਕਾਰ ਕਮੇਟੀ ਦੇ ਚੇਅਰਮੈਨ ਵਜੋਂ ਨਿਯੁਕਤੀ ਕਰਨਾ ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਪੰਜਾਬ ਦਾ ਮੁੱਖ ਮੰਤਰੀ ਬਣਾਉਣ ਦੇ ਬਰਾਬਰ ਹੈ। ਪੰਜਾਬੀਆਂ ਨੇ ਇਸ ਬਦਲਾਅ ਨੂੰ ਵੋਟ ਨਹੀਂ ਦਿੱਤੀ ਸੀ। ਇੰਝ ਲੱਗਦਾ ਹੈ ਕਿ @BhagwantMann ਜੀ ਨੇ ਪੰਜਾਬ ਸਰਕਾਰ ਨੂੰ ਠੇਕੇ ਤੇ ਦੇ ਦਿੱਤਾ ਹੈ। pic.twitter.com/Db9OubUMuK

— Amarinder Singh Raja Warring (@RajaBrar_INC) July 11, 2022

Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in the Punjab Assembly Partap Singh Bajwa criticised the state government for appointing Chadha as the chairman of the advisory committee.

Like Sir Henry Lawrence foisted as the British Resident in Punjab in 1846 to control the Sikh Empire for an outsider, Raghav Chadha today has been appointed as the representative of the @AAPDelhi Durbaar in Punjab, Bajwa said in a tweet.

Like Sir Henry Lawrence foisted as the British Resident in Punjab in 1846 to control the Sikh Empire for an outsider, Raghav Chadha today has been appointed as the representative of the @AAPDelhi Durbaar in Punjab. 1/2

— Partap Singh Bajwa (@Partap_Sbajwa) July 11, 2022

The Amarinder Singh-led Punjab Lok Congress said, Today Bhagwant Mann has reaffirmed his rubberstamp status by appointing @raghav_chadha as the Chairman of the advisory committee and making him the De facto CM.

Today Bhagwant Mann has reaffirmed his rubberstamp status by appointing @raghav_chadha as the Chairman of the advisory committee and making him the De facto CM.

— Punjab Lok Congress (@plcpunjab) July 11, 2022

Meanwhile, the CMO spokesperson said that as an alumnus of top educational institutes like Modern School, Barakhamba, and London School of Economics, Chadha has a distinction of working with some of the biggest corporate firms of the world.

The young political leader had earlier served as financial advisor to Delhi Finance Minister Manish Sisodia in the Aam Aadmi Party government. Though he drew a nominal salary of only Re 1 from Delhi government, he is credited with plugging the pilferage of the revenue and cutting down corruption, he said.

Chadha, who originally hails from Jalandhar and has lived in Delhi since his parents moved there few decades ago in search of work, has remained firmly connected with his roots and acted as a catalyst in revamping Delhi's Punjabi Academy thereby promoting the Punjabi language and culture in the national capital, the spokesperson said.