The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has replaced MP Raghav Chadha with Ashok Mittal as the deputy leader of the party in the Rajya Sabha, sparking speculation of internal rift.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Congress claimed the move was due to Chadha distancing himself from AAP's national convener Arvind Kejriwal.
Chadha, who initially remained silent, issued a statement through a video message, saying he has been 'silenced, not defeated.'
AAP leaders said a letter was sent to the Rajya Sabha secretariat seeking to replace Chadha with Mittal as deputy leader.
Raghav Chadha questioned if it was a 'crime' to raise public interest issues in Parliament, asking 'have I done something wrong?'
Ashok Mittal, industrialist-turned-lawmaker and AAP's Rajya Sabha MP from Punjab, has taken over as the new deputy leader.
