Raghav Chadha’s removal as AAP’s deputy leader in Rajya Sabha has cracked the party open as colleagues now accuse him of silence on PM Modi, desertion during walkouts, and raising airport samosa prices instead of national issues.
Raghav Chadha, Anurag Dhanda and Saurabh Bharadwaj at public appearances as AAP’s internal tensions surface after leadership change | IANS
A fresh war of words has broken out within the Aam Aadmi Party, with leader Anurag Dhanda publicly criticising MP Raghav Chadha after his removal as the party’s deputy leader in the Rajya Sabha.
The exchange comes at a time when the party has reshuffled its leadership in the Upper House, replacing Chadha with Ashok Kumar Mittal. The move appears to have triggered internal tensions, now spilling into the public domain.
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Dhanda, in a post on X, accused Chadha of holding back in Parliament and suggested that fear has shaped his approach in recent years. He said the limited time given to the party in Parliament should be used to raise serious national concerns, not smaller issues.
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“We are Kejriwal’s soldiers. Fearlessness is our first identity. If someone fears Modi, will they fight for the country?” Dhanda said, adding that parliamentary time should be used to “save the nation” rather than focus on issues like reducing airport food prices.
“In Parliament, the party gets just a little time to speak–in that, we can either struggle to save the nation or push to make samosas cheaper in the airport canteen,” he said.
He also alleged that Chadha stayed silent when AAP workers were detained in Gujarat and did not support the party’s stand against the Chief Election Commissioner in Parliament. Dhanda further claimed that Chadha avoided backing the party during a walkout and instead remained present in the House.
“In Gujarat, our hundreds of workers have been arrested by BJP’s police–will the honorable MP say something in the House? In West Bengal, the right to vote is being snatched away.”
“When a proposal against the CEC came up in the House, Brother Sahib refused to sign it. When the party walked out of the House, they stayed back to mark attendance for Modi Ji. For the past few years, you’ve been scared, Raghav. You hesitate to speak against Modi. You hesitate to speak on the real issues of the country,” Dhanda added.
हम केजरीवाल के सिपाही हैं। निडरता पहली पहचान है हमारी।
कोई मोदी से डर जाए तो लड़ेगा क्या देश के लिए?
संसद में थोड़ा सा समय मिलता है बोलने का पार्टी को, उसमें या तो देश बचाने का संघर्ष कर सकते हैं या एयरपोर्ट कैंटीन में समोसे सस्ते करवाने का।
गुजरात में हमारे सैंकड़ों…
— Anurag Dhanda (@anuragdhanda) April 3, 2026
In a separate post, Delhi minister Saurabh Bharadwaj also took a swipe, writing, “Jo darr gaya, samjho mar gaya.”
Just saw ur video Raghav bhai.
I just want to say – “जो डर गया, समझो मर गया” pic.twitter.com/cgXN9cI4aG— Saurabh Bharadwaj (@Saurabh_MLAgk) April 3, 2026
In a video message, Bharadwaj said politics cannot be driven by fear and party members are expected to raise issues fearlessly while taking on the government. He added that “soft” interventions in Parliament do not affect those in power.
He also questioned Chadha’s recent conduct in the House, claiming he had not taken strong positions against the Prime Minister or key government decisions. Bharadwaj further alleged that Chadha did not sign a proposed motion by opposition parties against the Chief Election Commissioner and had stayed away from opposition walkouts.
Soon after Bharadwaj’s remarks, senior AAP leader Sanjay Singh also joined the criticism, questioning Chadha’s silence on several key political and public issues.
In a video message, Singh described party members as “true soldiers” of Arvind Kejriwal’s vision but said it was concerning that Chadha had not spoken on multiple matters of national importance. He also alleged that Chadha did not sign the proposal against the Chief Election Commissioner, remained silent on issues related to West Bengal, and did not raise concerns linked to Delhi and Punjab.
Singh further claimed that Chadha had avoided speaking against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and had not addressed grievances involving party workers, particularly in Gujarat. He also questioned Chadha’s role during opposition walkouts, alleging that he stayed away from such protests.
He said these were issues the public expects him to raise and urged Chadha to clarify his position, stressing that avoiding tough questions weakens the party’s political fight.
.@ArvindKejriwal के साथी निडरता से मोदी के ख़िलाफ़ लड़ते हैं।
यही हमने @ArvindKejriwal से सीखा है। pic.twitter.com/qsTJLSz9JH— Sanjay Singh AAP (@SanjayAzadSln) April 3, 2026
Earlier in the day, Raghav Chadha had responded to his removal by questioning why he was being stopped from speaking in Parliament. He said raising public concerns should not be treated as wrongdoing.
“Whenever I get a chance, I raise issues of the people. But is that a crime? Have I done something wrong?” Chadha said in a post on X.
He claimed that the party had formally written to the Rajya Sabha Secretariat asking that he not be allowed to speak in the House. According to him, this effectively curtailed his role as a parliamentarian.
Chadha insisted that his silence should not be seen as weakness. “Do not consider my silence as my defeat. I am that river which becomes a flood when the time comes,” he said.
He listed several issues he has raised in Parliament, including high airport food prices, concerns of delivery workers, food adulteration, toll and banking charges, tax pressure on content creators, and telecom practices such as frequent recharges and lack of data rollover.
Chadha argued that these are everyday problems affecting citizens and questioned how highlighting them could harm the party.
The AAP MP, who has been in the Rajya Sabha since April 2022, has often spoken on governance and social issues. Last month, he flagged concerns over the “sarpanch pati” practice, urging stronger implementation of women’s representation in local bodies under the 73rd Constitutional Amendment.
Dropped by AAP, Raghav Chadha hits back with ‘silenced, not defeated’ video | WATCH
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