Raghav Chadha, Aam Aadmi Party's deputy leader in the Rajya Sabha, has been stripped of his post and accused by his own colleagues of being 'compromised' and in league with the Centre's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Chadha, 37, has denied each allegation individually and called the AAP attack on him 'scripted'. He has also released a video compilation of his interventions in the Rajya Sabha, listing issues he said he had raised.
The tensions between Chadha and the AAP leadership have deeper roots than a few unsigned motions or 'soft issues' like samosa prices and prepaid recharge validity periods.
Chadha's elevation to the Rajya Sabha from Punjab in 2022 generated some resentment in the state, and he faced allegations of acting as a 'super CM' while being seen as an outsider.
The BJP's response to the episode has been calibrated, with its Delhi unit president Virendra Sachdeva calling the AAP move to bar Chadha from speaking in Parliament 'highly objectionable'.
Chadha's Rajya Sabha term runs until 2028, and the AAP cannot simply remove him from Parliament. His constitutional position is currently secure.
