The Aam Aadmi Party’s move to remove Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha as its deputy leader in the Upper House has brought the party’s internal rift out in the open, with Chadha accusing the leadership of “silencing” him and the AAP questioning his “soft PR”.
The development has also fuelled speculation about Chadha’s possible switch to the BJP, with political circles abuzz over his next move.
When asked about the buzz, BJP’s Delhi unit chief, Virendra Sachdeva, said that it is “up to Chadha to decide his future”.
He, however, asserted that Raghav Chadha should have broken his “silence” long ago. Sachdeva also accused AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal of “getting rid of” allies after using them.
“Arvind Kejriwal has a talent: first he uses people and then gets rid of them,” Sachdeva added.
Ashok Mittal, who replaced Chadha as AAP’s new deputy leader in the House, said that he has no knowledge about the rumours of the Rajya Sabha MP’s possible BJP switch.
Mittal, however, said that Raghav, like every other MP, will also get his time to speak in the Rajya Sabha.
“Everyone gets time to speak in our party; it is a democratic process. Raghav Chadha will also be given time to speak in the Rajya Sabha in the future,” he added.
The fallout story
Aam Aadmi Party on Thursday wrote to Rajya Sabha Secretariat to remove Raghav Chadha as its deputy leader in the House. The party appointed its sitting Rajya Sabha MP Ashok Mittal as the new deputy leader. In the letter, AAP also reportedly asked the Rajya Sabha Secretariat to not allow Raghav to speak during the party’s allotted time.
Reacting to this, Chadha issued a video statement, questioning his removal and asked why he was being silenced in the House. 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 asked in the video statement posted on X.
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.
The AAP was quick to counter him. A number of senior party leaders launched a targeted attack on Chadha, claiming that he was afraid of the BJP and doing “soft PR” in the House.
AAP’s Delhi unit President Saurabh 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.
Former Delhi CM Atishi, AAP MP Sanjay Singh, senior party leader Anurag Dhandha and others also criticised Chadha for not following the party line.
They questioned his recent conduct in the House, claiming he had not taken strong positions against the Prime Minister or key government decisions. The AAP leaders also alleged that Chadha did not sign a proposed motion by opposition parties against the Chief Election Commissioner and had stayed away from opposition walkouts.