Kamal Ghorui
NEW DELHI: A day after AAP removed him as deputy leader of the party in the Rajya Sabha, Raghav Chadha declared that he would not be cowed by attempts to silence him, drawing a fierce backlash from his colleagues.Senior AAP members accused Chadha of being scared of PM Narendra Modi and not raising issues tied to the party’s stand. They mentioned his failure to sign the notice seeking the removal of CEC Gyanesh Kumar, and defying the party line on walkouts over issues in the House. Chadha was accused by Punjab CM Bhagwant Singh Mann, leader of the party in the Rajya Sabha Sanjay Singh, and leader of the opposition in Delhi, and Atishi of engaging in “soft PR” in Parliament. Asked by a journalist if he believed Chadha was compromised, Mann replied, “Yes”.
Mann questions Raghav’s focus: ‘Samosas over serious issues?’
Mann criticised Raghav Chadha for raising issues such as the price of samosas at airports while ignoring core issues prioritised by AAP, and accused him of deviating from the party line.Mann said, “If the party gives a line to raise specific issues, such as valid votes being deleted (in West Bengal), 160 AAP leaders and volunteers being booked in Gujarat, or Punjab’s issues, like attempts to polarise communities, MSP, Centre holding back GST funds or rural development fund but someone raises issues of samosas at airports or pizza delivery time, won’t it raise doubts that he is talking from a different station?” ‘Jo Dar Gaya Samjho Mar Gaya’ jibe (those who live in fear are as good as dead), AAP leaders taunted their estranged colleague.The slugfest started after Chadha, an RS MP from Punjab since 2022, put out a video message on X. “To those who have snatched my right to speak in Parliament, I would like to say don’t take my silence for defeat. I am that river which can turn into a devastating deluge when the time comes,” he warned.The Rajya Sabha MP asked if speaking about the common man’s problems in Parliament was a crime. “Today, I ask this as AAP has told the Rajya Sabha secretariat that Raghav Chadha should not be given time to speak in Parliament. Now, why would anyone want to stop me from speaking?” he asked and went on to list the diverse issues he has raised, ranging from expensive food at airports, problems faced by food delivery riders, to tax on the middle-class.Sanjay Singh questioned Chadha’s silence on the many issues — from LPG cylinders, to manipulation of votes in West Bengal, rights of Punjab under attack and the atrocities being faced by AAP volunteers in Gujarat. “On all these issues, Raghav Chadha keeps silent. I would like to tell him that we are foot soldiers of Arvind Kejriwal, who has taught us to fearlessly fight against Modi.”Referring to the arrest of Kejriwal in March 2024, former Delhi CM Atishi said that while party leaders were on the streets protesting and facing detention, questions were raised about Chadha’s absence. “We defended you then…But today, even I want to ask that when Kejriwal was arrested, were you scared of the BJP and therefore ran away to London out of fear?” she lashed out.
