Raghav Chadha on Friday said he has been “silenced, not defeated,” a day after being removed as the deputy leader of the Aam Aadmi Party in the Rajya Sabha.
In a video message posted on X, Chadha alleged that his own party had sought to prevent him from speaking in Parliament. “Whenever I get a chance, I raise issues concerning the people in Parliament, including topics that are often overlooked. But is it an offence to talk about people’s problems? Did I commit any crime?” he said.
He further claimed that the party had formally communicated to Parliament that he should not be given an opportunity to speak. “The AAP has informed Parliament that I should not be given a chance to speak. I would like to tell them — do not take my silence for defeat,” Chadha asserted.
Questioning the move, he added, “I raised several issues that benefited the aam aadmi (common man). What harm did that cause the party? Why does anyone want to stop me from speaking?”
The development follows a letter sent by the AAP to the Rajya Sabha Secretariat on Thursday, seeking Chadha’s removal from the deputy leader’s post. The party has proposed Ashok Mittal, a Rajya Sabha MP from Punjab, as his replacement.
Sources indicated that the letter also recommended that Chadha should not be allotted speaking time in the House from the party’s quota.
Once regarded as a close confidant of Arvind Kejriwal and among the youngest Members of Parliament in the country, Chadha has played a significant role in party affairs, particularly in Punjab and during the party’s tenure in Delhi.
