The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has launched a full-blown public attack against its own Rajya Sabha MP, Raghav Chadha, accusing him of being “scared to speak against PM Modi” and failing to raise “real issues.” The attack comes after AAP dropped Chadha as the deputy leader of the party in the Rajya Sabha.
The rift, once internal, has now turned into a public bashing with party leaders mincing no words. Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has come out in support of Chadha, praising his parliamentary work and accusing Arvind Kejriwal of “using people and then getting rid of them.”
What Sparked the Attack?
Chadha broke his silence after being replaced by Ashok Mittal as the deputy leader, alleging that the move was an attempt to silence him.
“The party has formally requested the Rajya Sabha Secretariat to stop him from speaking under the AAP quota. Is it wrong to speak for the people? I ask this because my own party has now formally requested the Rajya Sabha Secretariat to stop me from speaking,” he said in a video statement.
Later, Chadha also dropped AAP from his X bio, which now reads “Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha),” fueling speculation about whether he is planning to quit the party.
AAP’s Allegations Against Raghav Chadha
| Allegation | Details |
|---|---|
| Fear of PM Modi | Accused of not speaking against PM Modi or the BJP-led Central government. |
| Soft PR | Accused of discussing “samosas and pizzas” instead of pressing national issues. |
| Missing in Action | Did not raise issues like LPG crisis, SIR, voter deletion, or AAP workers’ arrests in Gujarat. |
| Absent During Protests | Was in London for eye surgery when AAP workers protested against Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest. |
| Violated Party Whip | Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann accused him of being “compromised” and violating the party whip. |
AAP Leaders’ Statements
| Leader | Statement |
|---|---|
| Saurabh Bharadwaj (AAP Delhi President) | “Jo dar gaya, samjho mar gaya (One who gets scared is as good as dead). We are all soldiers of Arvind Kejriwal ji.” |
| Atishi | “Why are you so scared of BJP? Why are you scared of speaking against PM Modi? You were in London — did you flee because you were scared of Modi?” |
| Bhagwant Mann (Punjab CM) | “He is compromised. Votes being cut, workers jailed in Gujarat, funds stuck in Punjab and he talks samosas.” |
| Anurag Dhanda (AAP media chief) | Accused Chadha of refusing to sign a resolution against CEC Gyanesh Kumar and remaining seated during PM’s address. |
BJP’s Support for Raghav Chadha
| Leader | Statement |
|---|---|
| Virendra Sachdeva (Delhi BJP President) | “Raghav Chadha should have broken his silence long ago; Arvind Kejriwal has a talent — first he uses people and then gets rid of them.” |
| Ramvir Singh Bidhuri (BJP MP) | “It is beyond my understanding why Arvind Kejriwal has imposed restrictions on Raghav Chadha from speaking. This amounts to a complete undermining of democracy.” |
What’s Next for Raghav Chadha?
Speculation is rife that Chadha might join the BJP after facing the blows from AAP. However, AAP’s Ashok Mittal, who replaced him, dismissed these as “just rumours.”
Chadha himself signalled that he has been silenced but not defeated. He is a sitting Rajya Sabha MP from Punjab, elected by the Punjab Legislative Assembly in April 2022, with his term ending in April 2028.
