Aam Aadmi Party MP Raghav Chadha on Friday said he had been “silenced, not defeated,” a day after being removed as the party’s deputy leader in the Rajya Sabha, while alleging that his own party had acted to restrict his participation in parliamentary proceedings.
In a video message posted on X, Chadha said, “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?”
He further alleged that the party had formally communicated to the Rajya Sabha Secretariat that he should not be permitted to speak.
“The AAP has informed Parliament that I should not be given a chance to speak. I would like to tell them, do not take my silence for defeat,” he 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 development follows a letter sent by the AAP to the Rajya Sabha Secretariat on Thursday, seeking Chadha’s removal from the post of deputy leader in the House. The party proposed Punjab MP Ashok Mittal as his replacement.
According to sources, the communication also indicated that Chadha, a Rajya Sabha member from Punjab, should not be allotted speaking time under the party’s quota.