Aam Aadmi Party's removal of MP Raghav Chadha as the party's deputy leader in the Rajya Sabha has drawn strong reactions across the political spectrum. The decision has attracted criticism from AAP’s political rivals, including the BJP and the Congress, and is being described as “highly objectionable”. Although some leaders argued that this was an internal issue of the AAP, they also stated that stopping Chadha from speaking in Parliament was “wrong” and alleged that the MP had been “sidelined”.
Regarding the Aam Aadmi Party, Rajya Sabha MP Ashok Mittal, who has taken over from Chadha as the party’s deputy leader in the Upper House, described the change as a “normal” and “ongoing process.” However, several AAP leaders have sharply criticised Chadha, including Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, who claimed that he was “compromised.” Chadha represents Punjab in the Rajya Sabha.
BJP denounces the decision, while Congress claims Chadha is now distinct from AAP
Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva described the issue as an internal matter for the AAP, but added that the manner in which it was communicated to the Rajya Sabha Secretariat—that Raghav Chadha should not be permitted to speak—is highly objectionable.
Sachdeva told news agency ANI that it was an MP’s duty to highlight regional concerns, while alleging that AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal is unable to tolerate dissent.
BJP MP Ramvir Singh Bidhuri also criticized AAP’s decision, while describing Chadha as a "good orator".
If the AAP leadership has silenced him, then this amounts to outright dictatorship... I want to ask Arvind Kejriwal: where does democracy remain in their party now? Bidhuri told ANI.
Union minister of state Ravneet Singh Bittu accused the AAP of adopting a “use and throw” policy, describing the party as a “one-man show.”“Given the dictatorial way he runs the party, people will ultimately abandon him. I do not wish to make personal comments about Raghav Chadha, but he was once regarded as very close to him, almost like a son. Even now, those who are not in agreement with him will begin to seek their own paths,” Bittu told reporters, according to news agency PTI.
The Congress emphasized that this development indicates Chadha is now “separate” from the AAP.
People understood this a long time ago, when he travelled to London while Kejriwal was in custody. The prevailing public view now is that Chadha will either quit or be ousted from the party and align himself with another one, Congress MP and Punjab unit chief Amarinder Singh Raja Warring told ANI.
Congress leader Rajendra Pal Gautam, formerly in the AAP, said the AAP puts forward “honest faces” but goes on to do “wrong things.” “There should be a study on why people sent to Rajya Sabha by AAP start opposing the party and are then sidelined,” Gautam added.
AAP MP Ashok Mittal, who replaces Chadha, has said that this is a “normal process” in the party.
“AAP is a party that functions democratically. Our party always tries to give different responsibilities to different people,” Mittal said. “Before Raghav ji, ND Gupta ji served as the Deputy Leader. Now, I have been appointed to this post, and tomorrow someone else will come,” he added.
However, AAP’s Delhi unit president Saurabh Bharadwaj accused Chadha of engaging in “soft PR,” while Punjab Chief Minister Mann claimed he had been “compromised.”
We are all Arvind Kejriwal’s soldiers; the Centre is not interested in light public relations or chatting about samosas at airport canteens when more serious issues are on the line," Bharadwaj stated in a video posted on X.
He also stated that Chadha had not joined the Opposition’s walkouts and further noted that he had failed to raise matters related to Punjab.
Punjab Chief Minister Mann said, “When we sit as opposition members in the Lok Sabha or Rajya Sabha, many decisions, such as staging a walkout, are taken collectively. But if anyone defies the party’s position or fails to comply, it goes against the whip.” Meanwhile, AAP leader Atishi criticised the BJP when asked if Chadha would join the party. “The BJP has a standard operating procedure (SOP). It uses intimidation, threats, and inducements on leaders, and many opposition figures, whether out of fear, pressure, or temptation, end up switching sides. Perhaps something similar is happening with Raghav Chadha as well,” Atishi said.
