New Delhi: A fresh political confrontation has erupted after Raghav Chadha was removed as deputy leader of the Aam Aadmi Party in the Rajya Sabha, prompting criticism from the Bharatiya Janata Party.
Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva said the decision to remove Chadha from the leadership role was an internal matter of the AAP, but alleged that preventing him from speaking in the House was unjustified. He criticised Arvind Kejriwal, accusing the party’s national convener of being insecure and unable to tolerate capable leaders within his own organisation.
Sachdeva also reacted to speculation that Chadha might consider joining the BJP, stating that the decision regarding his political future rests solely with the Rajya Sabha member himself. He further claimed that several leaders had earlier distanced themselves from the AAP after falling out with Kejriwal.
The controversy began after the AAP removed Chadha from the position of deputy leader in the Rajya Sabha. According to party communication with the Rajya Sabha Secretariat, Chadha, who represents Punjab in the Upper House, should not be allotted speaking time from the party’s quota during parliamentary proceedings.
Responding to the development, Chadha released a video message stating that he had been “silenced, not defeated.” He said he regularly raised issues concerning ordinary citizens in Parliament, including topics that often received little attention. Questioning the move, he asked whether speaking about public concerns should be treated as an offence.
The AAP leadership responded sharply, accusing Chadha of avoiding strong criticism of the central government during parliamentary debates. Delhi AAP president Saurabh Bharadwaj alleged that Chadha had repeatedly failed to follow the party’s position on several issues and had also stayed away from opposition walkouts on key matters.
The episode has triggered a wider political debate over internal differences within the AAP and the role of party discipline in parliamentary functioning.
