New Delhi: A day after being removed as the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)’s deputy leader in the Rajya Sabha, Raghav Chadha said he had been “silenced, not defeated,” triggering a sharp exchange within the party and political reactions across the spectrum.
In a post on X, Chadha said, “Whenever I get a chance to speak in Parliament, I raise public issues… But is raising public issues a crime? Have I committed a crime?” he said, adding that his silence in the House should not be misconstrued as defeat.
Leader of Opposition in Delhi Assembly Atishi questioned Chadha’s silence on what she described as “pressing national concerns.” In a video, she asked why he had not raised issues such as the alleged misuse of institutions and the ongoing LPG shortage.
Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann echoed the concerns, stating that Chadha had gone against the party line. Addressing a press conference in Chandigarh, Mann said that failure to speak on issues such as alleged voter list irregularities in West Bengal or to participate in opposition walkouts amounted to violating the party whip.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), meanwhile, used the spat to criticise the AAP’s functioning. Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva said “Dialogue and democracy within AAP have completely ended.
