The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Friday slammed its Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha, accusing him of avoiding key political issues in Parliament and engaging in what it described as “soft PR.”
The party's response comes after Chadha alleged that his own party had restricted his participation in parliamentary proceedings, asserting that he had been “silenced, not defeated.”
Delhi AAP President Saurabh Bharadwaj claimed that Chadha had repeatedly failed to follow the party’s line in Parliament and did not participate in opposition walkouts on crucial matters.
“We all are soldiers of Arvind Kejriwal, the Centre doesn't care about soft PR or talking about samosas at airport canteens when bigger issues are at stake,” Bharadwaj said in a video posted on X.
“Whenever the Opposition staged a walkout in Parliament, you (Chadha) did not participate. You did not raise issues concerning Punjab, from where you are elected, and you hid in a foreign country when former Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal was arrested,” he added.
AAP national media in-charge Anurag Dhanda also slammed Chadha, questioning his willingness to take on the Centre.
“In West Bengal, the right to vote is being snatched away. When a proposal against the CEC came up in the House, you (Chadha) refused to sign it,” Dhanda said on X.
“In Parliament, we get limited time to speak, and it can be used either to fight for the nation or discuss trivial matters like cheaper samosas at airport canteens,” he said, adding that Chadha has been hesitant to speak on “real issues” in recent years.
Earlier today, Chadha in a video message on X, reacted to his removal as the party’s deputy leader in the Rajya Sabha. “Whenever I get a chance, I raise issues concerning the people in Parliament, including topics that are often overlooked. But is it an offence to talk about people's problems? Did I commit any crime?” Chadha said.
“I raised several issues that benefited aam aadmi (common man). What harm did that cause the Aam Aadmi Party? Why does anyone want to stop me from speaking?” he added.
The controversy follows a letter sent by the AAP to the Rajya Sabha Secretariat seeking Chadha’s removal as deputy leader, with Punjab MP Ashok Mittal proposed as his replacement.