NEW DELHI: Days after the Aam Aadmi Occasion eliminated its Rajya Sabha deputy chief. Raghav Chadhaaccusing him of shying away from talking out in opposition to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and interesting in “tender PR”, the sidelined MP as soon as once more hit again on Saturday, saying, “ghayal hoon isiliye ghatak hoon,” quoting a preferred dialogue from the movie Dhurandhar 2.Among the many youngest MPs within the nation and as soon as seen as a detailed confidant of Arvind Kejriwal and a key strategist behind the AAP’s 2022 Punjab victory, Raghav Chadha’s journey throughout the occasion has taken a dramatic flip. Nonetheless, over the previous 12 months, cracks started to emerge.
‘Ghayal hoon is subsequently liye ghatak hoon’
Breaking his silence after the motion in opposition to him, Chadha upped the ante in opposition to his occasion, rejecting the allegations leveled in opposition to him by his personal occasion colleagues. In a strongly worded video message on X, he dismissed the fees as “baseless and half of a bigger, coordinated try and discredit him.”“All these lies shall be unmasked. Kyunki mai ghayal hoon isiliye ghatak hoon,” he mentioned, invoking a preferred movie dialogue to sign each harm and intent.Chadha made it clear that he had initially chosen restraint however felt compelled to reply as repeated accusations risked being accepted as fact. He additionally launched a number of movies below the title “Three Allegations. Zero Reality”, immediately countering claims made by occasion leaders.
‘Silenced, not defeated’
Earlier on Friday in one other pointed message on X, Chadha framed the episode as an try and suppress his voice somewhat than deal with variations. “Meri Khamoshi Ko Meri Haar Mat Samajh Lena, Predominant wo Dariya Hun Jo Waqt Aane Par Sailab banta hai,” he mentioned, warning that his silence shouldn’t be mistaken for defeat.He additionally revealed that the occasion had knowledgeable the Rajya Sabha secretariat to not allocate him talking time, a transfer he recommended was aimed toward marginalizing him inside Parliament. “Did I commit any crime? AAP has knowledgeable Parliament that I shouldn’t be given an opportunity to talk,” he mentioned.
‘Gentle PR’ and deviation from occasion line
His response got here a day after the occasion management has accused Chadha of diluting its political stance in Parliament. Senior leaders alleged that as an alternative of aggressively concentrating on the Heart and PM Modi, Chadha engaged in what they termed “tender PR”.Earlier on Friday, Senior occasion leaders alleged that Chadha had been reluctant to lift points aligned with the occasion’s stand. They pointed to his refusal to signal the discover searching for the elimination of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and his failure to hitch Opposition walkouts on key points within the Home. Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann, Rajya Sabha chief Sanjay Singh, Delhi chief Atishi and state unit chief Saurabh Bharadwaj have been amongst those that accused him of deviating from the occasion line.When requested whether or not Chadha was “compromised”, Mann replied within the affirmative. He criticized the MP for elevating points comparable to the value of samosas at airports as an alternative of what the occasion considers core political issues. “If the occasion provides a line to lift particular points, comparable to legitimate votes being deleted (in West Bengal), 160 AAP leaders and volunteers being booked in Gujarat, or Punjab’s points, like makes an attempt to polarize communities, MSP, Heart holding again GST funds or rural growth fund, however somebody raises problems with samosas at airports or pizza supply time, will not it elevate doubts that he’s speaking from a unique station?” Mann mentioned.The criticism escalated with occasion leaders additionally taking a swipe at Chadha utilizing the phrase “Jo Dar Gaya Samjho Mar Gaya”, amid the intensifying row over his elimination as deputy chief within the Rajya Sabha. Bharadwaj alleged that Chadha repeatedly didn’t toe the occasion line in Parliament and didn’t take part in Opposition walkouts. He additionally accused him of not adequately elevating points regarding Punjab, the state he represents, and of remaining absent throughout important moments, together with the arrest of AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal.“All occasion leaders are troopers of Kejriwal,” Bharadwaj mentioned, stressing the necessity for self-discipline and unity. He additional alleged that at a time when critics of the federal government have been going through crackdowns, together with FIRs and social media restrictions, elevating comparatively minor points in Parliament amounted to misplaced priorities. “Every time the Opposition staged a walkout in Parliament, you didn’t take part. You didn’t elevate points regarding Punjab… and also you hid abroad when Arvind Kejriwal was arrested,” he added.Sanjay Singh additionally questioned Chadha’s silence on a number of key points, together with LPG costs, alleged manipulation of votes in West Bengal, and what he described as assaults on Punjab’s rights and AAP employees in Gujarat. Atishi, referring to Kejriwal’s arrest in March 2024, mentioned that whereas occasion leaders have been on the streets protesting, Chadha’s absence raised critical questions. “We defended you then… However in the present day, even I need to ask, when Kejriwal was arrested, have been you petrified of the BJP and subsequently ran away to London out of concern?” she mentioned.AAP chief Anurag Dhanda mentioned, “In Gujarat, our lots of of employees have been arrested… In West Bengal, the suitable to vote is being snatched away… For the previous few years, you’ve got been scared, Raghav. You hesitate to talk in opposition to Modi. You hesitate to talk on the true problems with the nation.”
Chadha’s counter
Chadha categorically denied these allegations within the movies posted, calling them “white lies” and difficult the occasion to offer proof. “The primary allegation they put in opposition to me was that I didn’t stroll out with the opposition. This can be a white lie, and I problem you to provide me one instance, one incident, the place the opposition walked out and I did not help them,” he mentioned, including, “There are CCTV cameras in every single place within the parliament. Present me footage and it’ll change into clear.”On the difficulty of the movement in opposition to the Chief Election Commissioner, Chadha maintained that no occasion chief had requested him formally or informally to signal it. He questioned why he was being singled out when a number of different MPs had additionally not signed the movement, noting that the Opposition had greater than sufficient members to satisfy the required variety of signatures.Maybe the sharpest ideological divergence got here in Chadha’s articulation of his function as a parliamentarian. He rejected the concept that effectiveness in Parliament is measured by disruption. “I didn’t go to Parliament to create ruckus, scream, break the mic or abuse. I went there to lift issues of individuals,” he mentioned.He emphasised that his focus has constantly been on substantive public points, together with Punjab’s water disaster, air air pollution in Delhi, the situation of presidency faculties, railway passenger issues, GST and earnings tax burdens, public healthcare, schooling, menstrual well being, unemployment and inflation. Stressing accountability, he added, “I am going to Parliament to create influence not ruckus,” noting that Parliament runs on taxpayers’ cash and should serve their issues.
BJP wades in
The controversy has drawn reactions from political opponents as nicely. Bharatiya Janata Occasion got here out in help of Chadha, utilizing the episode to criticize AAP’s inner functioning. Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva mentioned {that a} senior MP being pressured to make use of social media to voice issues indicated a breakdown of dialogue throughout the occasion.“When a senior MP is pressured to make use of social media to precise his views inside his personal occasion, it displays a deeply troubling inner situation,” he mentioned.
Absence throughout important moments
The slugfest was triggered after Raghav Chadha, was eliminated as deputy chief of the Aam Aadmi Occasion within the Higher Home on Thursday. What had been an inner rift simmering for almost a 12 months lastly spilled into the open, with the occasion successfully “demoting” Chadha and changing him with Ashok Mittal.Nonetheless, the sharper blow got here not simply from his elimination however from the occasion’s reported communication to the Rajya Sabha secretariat that Chadha ought to not be allotted talking time from its official quota — a transfer extensively seen as an try and sideline him additional.Quickly after, Chadha posted a cryptic response on X, sharing video highlights of his speeches within the Higher Home together with a “nazar” (evil eye) amulet emoji, with out providing any direct remark.The transfer comes in opposition to the backdrop of Chadha’s extended silence on occasion issues and his absence from a number of key public occasions led by Arvind Kejriwal. The cracks, occasion insiders counsel, have been widening for almost two years somewhat than rising all of a sudden.A serious supply of unease throughout the occasion has been Chadha’s absence throughout important moments. Whereas leaders comparable to Sanjay Singh and Manish Sisodia confronted authorized troubles and jail phrases, Chadha’s absence from key press conferences and protest websites drew scrutiny.He was overseas for medical causes when Kejriwal was arrested within the excise coverage case in March 2024 and remained away throughout his almost six-month incarceration, assembly him solely days after his launch on September 13, 2024. Extra lately, Chadha maintained silence even after Kejriwal, Sisodia and different AAP leaders have been discharged by a Delhi courtroom in the identical case, and he additionally skipped Kejriwal’s press convention and a rally at Jantar Mantar following the aid.The AAP presently has 10 members within the Rajya Sabha, together with seven from Punjab and three from Delhi, making the interior rift all of the extra important for the occasion’s parliamentary technique.Chadha now turns into the second Rajya Sabha MP after Swati Maliwal to fall out with the occasion management, pointing to a broader sample of inner tensions.