Soon after the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) moved to replace MP Raghav Chadha as the party’s deputy leader in the Rajya Sabha, the AAP leader made a subtle response by sharing a video on his social media platform.
In a video posted hours after the party’s move, Chadha shared a montage of the issues he raised in Parliament. The video showed notable problems, ranging from mobile data usage, parental leave, food adulteration, flight delays, and alleged paper leaks.
Raghav Chadha has often made headlines for raising issues related to the general masses, and videos of his parliamentary speech have often gone viral. The AAP leader is yet to formally respond to the party’s move to replace him as deputy leader in the Rajya Sabha.
According to sources cited by PTI, AAP has submitted a letter to the Rajya Sabha Secretariat appointing MP Ashok Mittal as deputy leader of the party in the Senate, replacing Chadha.
Why was Raghav Chadha removed from the post of deputy leader of AAP in Rajya Sabha?
The case stems from a series of events, some dating back to 2024. According to PTI, this development comes amid Chadha’s prolonged silence on party-related matters, including his absence from public events led by AAP president Arvind Kejriwal.
When Kejriwal was arrested in connection with the tax policy case in March 2024, Chadha was abroad on medical grounds. He stayed away from active politics during Kejriwal’s nearly six-month imprisonment, during which other party leaders, including Manish Sisodia and Sanjay Singh, were also in jail.
Recently, the AAP leader, a Rajya Sabha MP from Punjab, remained silent when Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia and other AAP leaders were dismissed by a Delhi court in the tax case last month. Chadha reportedly missed Kejriwal’s press conference and a rally at Jantar Mantar after the court’s decision.
AAP leaders claimed that Chadha has been increasingly marginalized from political campaigning and organizational matters, according to PTI. However, he is still vocal in Parliament, raising issues such as rising airfares and the situation of freelance workers.
It is not yet clear what the latest development will mean for Chadha’s role in the party or outside it, as an exit from the AAP cannot be completely ruled out.
