Rajya Sabha member Raghav Chadha on Saturday accused Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders of levelling false allegations against him through a scripted campaign since Friday.
Raghav Chadha, in another video message, sought to deny allegations levelled against him by top AAP leaders, issuing a warning in the form of a popular dialogue from the Ranveer Singh-starrer superhit Dhurandhar.
Chadha listed the three false allegations against him: not walking out of the Rajya Sabha along with Opposition leaders, not signing the impeachment motion against the Chief Election Commissioner, and taking up non-serious issues out of fear.
“It’s a lie that I did not walk out along with the opposition. I challenge them to prove once instance when I did not walk out with opposition. Second, they accused me of not signing the impeachment motion against CEC. I was not asked by AAP to sign the motion. In fact, 6-7 MPs of 10 MPs did not sign the motion. So why only target me,” Raghav Chadha said.
Not in Rajya Sabha to create ruckus: Raghav Chadha
On the allegation of being afraid of the centre, Raghav Chadha said, “Let me tell them I am not Parliament in creating ruckus. I am there to raise people’s issues. I spoke on issues like GST, Income Tax, water issues in Punjab and even on menstrual health,” he said.
“I am in Parliament on taxpayers’ money. All these allegations are false and all questions will be answered. Mein ghayal hun isiliye ghatak hun (I am wounded, and that is why I am dangerous),” he said, using a famous dialogue by Ranveer Singh in the superhit Dhurandhar movie.
Raghav Chadha slammed AAP on Friday
Raghav Chadha’s fresh video statement comes a day after he slammed the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) for allegedly stopping him from speaking in Rajya Sabha. AAP had earlier announced that it had written to the Rajya Sabha secretariat seeking the removal of Raghav Chadha as its deputy leader in the Upper House.
“Whenever I get a chance to speak in Parliament, I speak on public-centred issues. I raise issues that are usually not taken up in the Parliament. Is speaking on public issues a mistake? Have I done something wrong?,” Chadha asked in the message shared on his social media.
Responding to Raghav Chadha’s statement, Aam Aadmi Party leaders called the removal of Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha from the post of deputy leader in the House a “routine disciplinary action”, while firmly pushing back against his claims.
Is speaking on public issues a mistake? Have I done something wrong?
AAP leaders Atishi, Bhagwant Mann and others backed the party’s decision.
“Action was taken against Raghav Chadha for going against party whip; such changes are made by all parties,” said Punjab CM and AAP leader Bhagwant Singh Mann. He claimed that Chadha was “compromised”.
Mann responded hour after Raghav Chadha alleged that AAP had asked the Rajya Sabha secretariat to stop him from speaking in the House. The party has denied the allegation, saying replacing a leader of the Upper House was not unusual.
However, Raghav Chadha, who has been a Rajya Sabha MP since 2022, has been replaced by Ashok Mittal, another party MP from Punjab and the founder and chancellor of Lovely Professional University as party’s deputy leader in the Upper House.
Chadha has remained an active parliamentary voice, frequently raising social and economic issues.
Why would someone stop me from speaking. I speak on aam aadmi, airport food, Zomato, Blinkit workers, middle class tax burden and strike on content creators….and raised issues. These issues helped common people. How does it affect AAP. Why would someone want to silence me,” Raghav Chadha said in Friday’s video.
