Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Thursday removed Raghav Chadha from the post of ‘Deputy Leader’ in Rajya Sabha. In his place, the party has given this responsibility to Ashok Mittal. When Raghav Chadha broke his silence for the first time on Friday after being removed from the post, all the senior leaders of Aam Aadmi Party became vocal against him. The leaders with whom the stories of friendship were famous, gave strong statements against Raghav Chadha. Now many big leaders of AAP are openly saying, ‘Raghav Chadha, you have not been silenced, you have been scared.’
After being removed from the post of deputy leader, Raghav Chadha said that he has been silenced by the party. He was raising issues of public interest, Aam Aadmi Party had a problem with this. He said that whenever he got a chance to speak, he spoke about the public. He said that now he is being silenced in Rajya Sabha.
Raghav Chadha, Rajya Sabha MP, AAP:-
Whenever I get a chance to speak in Parliament, I raise public issues in Rajya Sabha. Perhaps I raise such issues which are not usually raised in Parliament. Is it a crime to raise public issues and talk about public issues? Have I committed any crime, any mistake? I am asking this question today because Aam Aadmi Party has said in the Rajya Sabha Secretariat that Raghav Chadha should be banned from speaking in Parliament.
Also read: Will Raghav Chadha leave AAP or follow Swati Maliwal’s path, what are the options?
How did Raghav Chaddha enter AAP?
Raghav Chadha was a chartered accountant by profession, who entered politics in 2011 during the ‘India Against Corruption’ movement. Due to his speaking style, proficiency in English and Hindi, family background, his popularity increased and he came closer to Arvind Kejriwal.
Raghav Chadha joined the founding members of the Aam Aadmi Party in 2012. Because of his CA background and gentle image, he started getting invited to TV a lot. He became the prominent face of the party. Raghav Chadha, had drafted and made strategic plans for the party. His stellar performance as Vice Chairman of Delhi Jal Board and national spokesperson of the party won the confidence of the leadership.
How did AAP field Raghav Chadha?
Raghav Chadha did not get a chance in the elections for the first time. For the second time, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) decided to field him in the assembly. Raghav Chadha’s chartered accountant background helped and he rose to the position of treasurer. He was a trusted soldier of Arvind Kejriwal, the party was blindly trusting him. In the year 2019, his stature in the Aam Aadmi Party increased so much that Arvind Kejriwal was convinced that if Raghav contested the Lok Sabha elections, he could win.
Aam Aadmi Party has fielded him against the famous leader of Bharatiya Janata Party, Ramesh Bidhuri. At the age of just 31, Aam Aadmi Party gave him a big responsibility but he did not get success. Raghav Chadha lost the election from South Delhi Lok Sabha seat against Ramesh Bidhuri. Next year, assembly elections were to be held in Delhi. Arvind Kejriwal fielded Raghav Chadha from Rajendra Nagar assembly constituency. Raghav Chadha wrote a new success story in this posh area. He became MLA for the first time. On March 2, 2020, Arvind Kejriwal gave him a big responsibility.
Also read: ‘You are scared…’, Aam Aadmi Party lashed out as soon as Raghav Chaddha’s video came out
There was an uproar in Delhi regarding water that he made Raghav Chadha the Vice Chairman of Delhi Jal Board. Raghav Chaddha got his first big responsibility. He would constantly visit the water plants of Delhi, raise issues and get the deficiencies rectified. He would enthusiastically respond to the opposition’s allegations in which the then Delhi government was being blamed.
On one hand, people in Delhi kept praising Raghav Chadha’s style and he kept getting media coverage. He started being in the headlines every day. After Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia and Sanjay Singh, Raghav Chadha became the most favorite leader of the media. He was trusted by both Manish Sisodia and AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal, so the party decided to give him a big responsibility.
Also read: Jealous of popularity or punishment for not standing together, what did AAP do with Raghav Chadha?
Assembly elections were to be held in Punjab in the year 2022. Raghav Chaddha comes from Punjabi background. Chaddha is the surname of the Khatri community, which has a long association with Punjab. He is an expert in speaking Punjabi, understands the sentiments of Punjab. Arvind Kejriwal was convinced that this identity would prove helpful to AAP in Punjab.
Arvind Kejriwal made him in-charge of AAP in Punjab. On one hand, people were fed up with the internal strife of Congress, BJP and Akali were torn apart, in such a situation, there was a strong possibility for AAP in Punjab. Punjab had seen AAP rule Delhi. Raghav Chadha, Arvind Kejriwal’s second line, was visible to the people.
How did the stature increase in Punjab?
Like Bhagwant Mann and Arvind Kejriwal, people gathered in Raghav Chadha’s public meeting. Be in the news a lot. Meeting people, doing active campaigning. His role was so strong in Punjab that he used to decide the strategy and what would be the line of the party. Arvind Kejriwal expressed confidence in his decisions. Raghav Chadha showed his strength not only in Punjab but also in Gujarat. His Gujarat tour was highly appreciated. In the Bharatiya Janata Party stronghold, AAP gave victory to Chaitar Vasava from Olpad assembly seat. Raghav Chadha got the credit for this.
It was said about Raghav Chadha that he is the ‘Super CM’ of Punjab. Meaning, the person whose permission Bhagwant Mann also needed for some decisions was Raghav Chadha. Raghav Chadha also started getting credit for early decisions, campaigns against drugs, sand mining and decisions related to political transparency.
Raghav Chadha became Arvind Kejriwal’s most favorite leader. The party decided to send him to Rajya Sabha in March 2022. On one hand, he would be on TV, giving interviews, presenting the party’s side, and on the other, he would prepare strategies for Punjab. But it is said that eclipse occurs even on good days.
Also read: ‘Made to be silenced, not defeated…’, Raghav Chadha speaks for the first time on AAP’s action
AAP made Raghav Chaddha a brand, then why did he remove it from sight?
At the time when Arvind Kejriwal needed Raghav Chaddha the most, Raghav Chaddha was somewhere else, with someone else. Goswami Tulsidas has said a couplet in ‘Ram Charit Manas’ –
Times of disaster have tested us for love, patience, religion, friends and women.
Something similar happened with Raghav Chaddha also. Trouble befell Arvind Kejriwal and Raghav Chadha did not live up to that trust. After Raghav Chadha’s marriage, he came close to Parineeti Chopra but stayed away from the party. Nothing went wrong because of Raghav Chadha’s marriage. When they got married on September 24, 2023, at the famous The Leela Palace in Udaipur, Rajasthan, it was even said that the resources of the Punjab government had been exploited. Not long after the marriage, things began to deteriorate and continued to deteriorate.
From 2023 to 26, what changed that you were sidelined?
Till 2023, all was well. The beginning of 2024 was not good. The then Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was arrested just before the Lok Sabha elections in the Delhi Excise Policy case. Raghav Chadha expressed his protest on social media but immediately went abroad for eye surgery. He was suffering from ‘retinal detachment’.
Arvind Kejriwal, remained in jail for 6 months. Raghav Chaddha did not even go to meet him in jail. First talked about recovery, then started maintaining distance politically. This upset many leaders of the Aam Aadmi Party. Many people said that Raghav Chadha, who is always there in good days, is missing in bad days. He was not even vocally opposing the central government.
Also read: From recharge to recall, how is Raghav Chadha raising issues of public interest without politics?
Now Aam Aadmi Party says that Raghav Chadha did not raise his voice against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and on issues related to the country and the party. He also did not raise the issue of attack on party workers in Gujarat. Raghav Chadha also did not sign the removal notice against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
Leaders like Saurabh Bhardwaj, Atishi and Sanjay Singh have alleged that Raghav Chadha was hiding abroad at the time of Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest and did not even raise his voice on the issues of Punjab. Raghav Chadha remained silent after Arvind Kejriwal got relief from the court in the liquor scam case. Kept avoiding party meetings. Kept avoiding victory rallies of Aam Aadmi Party. When Arvind Kejriwal reached the party office after 27 February 2026, there was a public meeting at Jantar Mantar.
Also read: First raised his voice, now AAP MP Raghav Chadha himself has become a delivery boy.
Raghav Chadha was also not present there. Raghav Chadha raised issues like gig workers in Parliament, expensive products at airports, data plans, bank penalties, toll tax and paternity leave but did not raise the issue of action taken by investigating agencies against the opposition. This went against Arvind Kejriwal. Aam Aadmi Party leaders allege that when ED and CBI started action against AAP, Raghav Chadha feared that if he spoke, he would also go to jail, he got scared and maintained silence. Now on these allegations Raghav Chadha says that AAP itself has silenced him.
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