AAP MP Raghav Chadha on Friday broke his silence after the party removed him as Rajya Sabha deputy leader, questioning whether raising public issues in Parliament had become a “crime.” In a video message shared on X, Chadha asked, “Have I done something wrong?” as he accused the party of trying to stop him from speaking in the Upper House.
“Whenever I get the chance to speak in Parliament, I raise the public’s issues… but is it a crime or a mistake to do so?” Chadha said. He added that AAP had informed the Rajya Sabha Secretariat to stop his Parliament address.
The AAP leader also questioned why anyone would want to silence him when he had consistently spoken on matters affecting ordinary citizens. He pointed to several issues he had raised in Rajya Sabha, including high food prices at airports, problems faced by gig workers, concerns over prepaid mobile plans, and the tax burden on the middle class.
Raghav Chadha Shares Strong Message After AAP Rajya Sabha Setback
Raghav Chadha questioned why anyone would want to silence him and thanked people for supporting him. In a sharp message, he said, “Don’t mistake my silence for my defeat.”
AAP replaced Chadha as the party’s Rajya Sabha deputy leader on Thursday. The party appointed MP Ashok Mittal to the post.
A few hours later, Chadha shared a video clip on X. The clip showed a compilation of the issues he had raised in Parliament. He posted the video with a 🧿 emoji. However, he did not directly comment on his removal from the Rajya Sabha role.
In recent weeks, Chadha had raised several issues in Parliament. These included flight delays, alleged exam paper leaks and the demand for legal paternity leave.
Also read:https://www.orderofindia.com/breaking-news/rbi-rupaye-girawat-ranneeti-india/
Raghav Chadha and AAP Show Signs of a Rift
AAP’s decision to remove Raghav Chadha from the key Rajya Sabha post has sparked speculation about a possible rift within the party. The Opposition has also compared the development to the public fallout between Swati Maliwal and Arvind Kejriwal in 2024.
Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva claimed that both Maliwal and Chadha had distanced themselves from Kejriwal’s style of functioning. He also alleged that Chadha had moved away from what he called Kejriwal’s “anarchic and corrupt leadership.”
Questions have also emerged over Chadha’s silence on several key AAP issues. When authorities arrested Kejriwal in March 2024 in the excise policy case, Chadha did not join the protests. He said he was in London for eye surgery.
Reports also said Chadha stayed away during Kejriwal’s nearly six-month jail term. He met Kejriwal only a few days after his release on September 13, 2024.
AAP, however, denied any fallout. The party said it replaced Chadha in the Rajya Sabha role as part of an internal restructuring. Party leaders also rejected claims that the party had stopped Chadha from speaking in Rajya Sabha under its MPs’ quota.
Also read:https://centraltimes.in/politics/ashok-mittal-becomes-aap-rs-deputy-leader-raghav-chadha-out/