Kamal Ghorui
NEW DELHI: Union minister of state for railways Ravneet Singh Bittu launched a sharp attack on the Aam Aadmi Party following its decision to remove Raghav Chadha as deputy leader in the Rajya Sabha, even as he dismissed speculation about Chadha joining the BJP.Calling the development a sign of internal discord, Bittu alleged that Chadha’s “role as an ATM” for the party was now over. “He used to raise funds for Arvind Kejriwal, but now he has found a ‘bank’ instead,” Bittu said to media, adding that he had warned Chadha earlier.
The remarks came amid an escalating public fallout between Chadha and the party leadership, days after AAP formally wrote to the Rajya Sabha secretariat seeking his removal from the deputy leader’s post and limiting his speaking role in the House.Bittu also took aim at AAP’s functioning, describing it as a “use and throw” outfit. He warned Bhagwant Mann that he could face a similar fate if he stopped aligning with Kejriwal. “It is essentially a one-man show. Once a person’s utility ends, they are sidelined,” he said.The Union minister further criticised Chadha’s parliamentary interventions, accusing him of raising trivial issues such as “samosas and chutney” instead of Punjab’s core concerns, and alleged that the party prioritises outsiders over state interests.How the rift unfoldedThe tensions between Chadha and the AAP leadership had been brewing for months, with the MP gradually being sidelined from organisational roles and political campaigns. The situation escalated on April 2, when the party formally wrote to the Rajya Sabha secretariat seeking his removal as deputy leader and asked that he not be allotted speaking time from the party’s quota.A day later, on April 3, Chadha released a video defending his parliamentary record, prompting a sharp backlash from senior leaders. Bhagwant Mann, along with other party figures, accused him of not following the party line, skipping key positions such as a petition against the Chief Election Commissioner, and focusing on less critical issues in Parliament.Mann even indicated that Chadha could be “compromised” when asked directly.The public sparring marked a rare and visible breakdown in ties between Chadha and the leadership, with accusations of “soft PR” and lack of aggression against the Centre.‘Punjab is my soul’Amid the intensifying row, Chadha on Sunday issued a fresh statement and video message, strongly countering the allegations. “Punjab is not a talking point for me. It is my commitment. It is my soul,” he said, asserting that he had consistently raised key state issues, including pending funds, farmers’ concerns, groundwater depletion and border security, in Parliament.He maintained that he had followed party directions, participated in walkouts when required, and had not been instructed to sign certain petitions cited by critics. Calling the charges “baseless and maliciously motivated,” Chadha said he chose to focus on meaningful interventions rather than disruption.The escalating war of words has now left Chadha’s role within AAP uncertain, marking a dramatic turn for a leader once seen as among Arvind Kejriwal’s closest aides and a key strategist in the party’s rise beyond Delhi.
