Raghav hits back at AAP; party accuses him of dodging key issues

New Delhi: A day after being removed as the AAP's deputy leader in the Rajya Sabha, MP Raghav Chadha said he has been "silenced, not defeated", prompting the party to accuse him of shying away from raising issues against the Centre in Parliament and instead engaging in "soft PR". In a video posted on X earlier in the day, Chadha said his own party had sought to prevent him from speaking in Parliament.

"I would like to tell those who have snatched away my right to speak in Parliament to not take my silence for defeat. I am a river that can transform into a flood when the time comes. Jai Hind," he said in Hindi.

The Rajya Sabha MP said whenever he got a chance, he raised public issues in Parliament, including topics that are often overlooked, and questioned whether speaking about people's problems was a crime. "Did I commit any offence?" he said. Chadha said that in Parliament, he talked about the common people of the country and their issues, including expensive food at airports, problems faced by food delivery riders, food adulteration, toll plazas charges, mobile data expiry, tax on the middle class, among others. "Anyway, you (common man) have continued to give me unlimited love.

Hitting back, Delhi AAP President Saurabh Bharadwaj alleged that Chadha failed to toe the party's line on several matters in Parliament and did not join opposition walkouts on key issues. He also claimed that Chadha had not adequately raised concerns related to Punjab, the state he represents, and criticised his absence during crucial moments, including the arrest of AAP supremo and former Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal. Bharadwaj further alleged that in recent months, the government has

been cracking down on those daring to question its policies, with critics facing action such as social media account suspensions and FIRs. He claimed that the government does not care about "soft PR" in Parliament and talking about samosas at airport canteens when bigger issues are at stake.

He becomes the second AAP Rajya Sabha MP, after Swati Maliwal, to have fallen out with the party leadership