Explained: The row over Raghav Chadha’s meet with pro-Khalistan British MP Preet Kaur Gill

The Aam Aadmi Party is facing a crisis. Their leader, Arvind Kejriwal is in jail after being arrested in connection to the Delhi liquor excise policy. And now, Raghav Chadha is facing political ire for his meeting with a person in the United Kingdom known to be an advocate of the Khalistan movement.

This also comes at a time when an unverified video emerged on social media in which Sikh extremist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun alleges that the party had received a staggering $16 million (approximately Rs 133.54 crore) from Khalistani groups between 2014 and 2022.

Who did Raghav Chadha meet in London? Why has it turned into a political row? Here’s what we know so far.

Raghav Chadha’s meeting with Preet Kaur Gill

Last week, while Delhi chief minister and AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal was arrested by officials of the Enforcement Directorate in the Delhi liquor excise policy case, the party’s Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha was in London. He has reportedly been in the UK since early March, with news agency PTI reporting that he was undergoing a vitrectomy surgery to prevent the eye’s retinal detachment.

On 21 March, British Labour Party MP Preet Kaur Gill posted an image of meeting Chadha in British parliament where they held discussions on “global health security”.

BJP takes aim at Chadha

It is unclear what the two discussed or if there was any discussion, but the BJP was quick to question his meeting with the British Labour Party MP.

Amit Malviya, the BJP’s I-T cell chief, said that Sunita Kejriwal, Arvind Kejriwal’s wife, should explain what AAP MP Raghav Chadha was doing with British Labour MP Preet K Gill, “who openly advocates K separatism, mobilises funds for Ks in UK, funds violent protests outside India House in London, constantly posts anti-India, anti-Modi, anti-Hindu stuff on her social media accounts?”

“Elections have been announced in India. But Raghav Chadha, Arvind Kejriwal’s blue eyed boy, is in London! Why? Why is Chadha in touch with Preet Gill?” said the BJP leader on X.

Later, Union Minister Anurag Thakur targeted the AAP without naming Chadha. “What kind of government is it (in Punjab)? An MP from the state (Punjab) stands with those forces who speak against India and support terrorism.”

Preet Kaur Gill and her Khalistani ‘links’

Preet Kaur Gill, the British MP who Chadha has been photographed with, has the honour of being Britain’s first woman Sikh Member of Parliament after winning the Edgbaston seat for the Labour Party in the 2017 polls.

Born and brought up in Edgbaston, she has served as a board member of the Sikh Network, an open collective of Sikh activists and professionals in UK from all backgrounds.

In 2018, she was elevated to the Shadow Cabinet by the Labour party. However, in 2023, she was demoted from the position in preparation for a general election expected later in the year.

Britain’s Preet Kaur Gill has received scrutiny from India over her perceived Khalistani links. She has also vocalised her support for the release of national Jagtar Singh Johal, aka Jaggi Johal from Tihar jail in Delhi. Image Courtesy: @PreetKGillMP/X

Kaur Gill has been the subject of Indian scrutiny for her perceived support for Khalistan. Earlier in February, she had alleged in the House of Commons that agents with ties to India were targeting Sikhs in the UK. Gill mentioned that some British Sikhs were even on a “hit list” of what she termed “transnational repression”, and questioned Security Minister Tom Tugendhat about the British government’s response.

In 2020, she had also engaged in a public row on X with Conservative MP Raminder Singh Ranger, who had posted at that time that British prime minister Boris Johnson does not endorse Khalistan. Gill promptly challenged him citing the principle of self-determination enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, as per a report by the Indian Express.

In the past, she has also earned criticism in India for calling for the release of British national Jagtar Singh Johal, aka Jaggi Johal. For the unaware, Johal is currently lodged in Delhi’s Tihar jail on the charges of being involved in targeted killings in Punjab.

She also received flak in December 2021 when she posted a tweet, which she then deleted, calling the unidentified youth who was killed at the at the Golden Temple in Amritsar a “Hindu terrorist”. T

She is also repeatedly appeared in public and taken photographs with known Khalistani activists.

Raghav Chadha speaks

While the AAP has remained mum on the matter, Chadha himself said that he didn’t hold any meetings due to his schedule apart from attending the Prime Minister’s Question Session at the House of Commons.

But he said some MPs and visitors did approach him for photos.

With inputs from agencies