New Delhi: Rajya Sabha MP and former Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Raghav Chadha has issued a defiant reply to accusations from his party colleagues that he failed to raise Punjab’s issues in Parliament. In a video compilation, Chadha showcased clips of his speeches in the Rajya Sabha where he highlighted key concerns of Punjab, including the Nankana Sahib corridor, MSP guarantees for farmers, a Bharat Ratna for Bhagat Singh, and the return of Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s royal throne.
Accompanying the video, Chadha posted on social media, stating, “To my colleagues in AAP who were forced to issue videos claiming that ‘Raghav Chadha failed to raise Punjab’s issues in Parliament,’ here is a small trailer… Picture Abhi Baaki Hai.” He emphasized his emotional connection to Punjab, saying, “Punjab isn’t a talking point for me. It is my home, my duty, my soil, my soul.”
Chadha, 37, was recently removed from his position as AAP’s Deputy Leader in the Rajya Sabha amid ongoing tensions with party leadership, including national convener Arvind Kejriwal. Since then, he has publicly traded barbs with top party leaders, asserting that he has been “silenced, not defeated,” and alleging a “scripted campaign” to target him with a “coordinated attack.”
Punjab AAP leaders, however, have criticized Chadha for not raising the state’s issues in Parliament. Punjab Minister Harpal Singh Cheema accused him of neglecting key concerns, stating, “Raghav Chadha was elected by Punjab’s MLAs with the expectation that he would strongly represent the state’s concerns at the national level. Instead, he completely avoided raising even a single sensitive issue.” Cheema called this a betrayal of Punjab and its people.
Senior AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj also alleged that Chadha had deleted social media posts critical of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP, accusing him of shifting from a sharp critic to a more polished, less confrontational image.
Chadha, a chartered accountant and alumnus of Delhi’s Modern School, has been associated with AAP since its early days. He rose to prominence as the party’s national spokesperson and was appointed national treasurer at age 26. He was elected from the Rajinder Nagar constituency in the 2020 Delhi Assembly elections and served as vice-chairman of the Delhi Jal Board before being named to the Rajya Sabha in 2022.
Earlier, Chadha’s absence from key party activities and his silence on several developments, including the clean chit to Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia, had fueled speculations about his standing within the party. His recent video message marks a bold attempt to reaffirm his commitment to Punjab and his political integrity amidst ongoing internal conflicts.
