Raghav Chadha's ouster: Bihar minister cries foul, Punjab CM defends

Bihar Minister Ram Kripal Yadav termed Raghav Chadha's removal as AAP Deputy Leader unjustified, saying the party wants 'slaves'. Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann and Saurabh Bhardwaj defended the move, while Chadha questioned if raising public issues is a crime.

Bihar Minister Ram Kripal Yadav on Saturday reacted to the removal of Raghav Chadha as the Deputy Leader in the Rajya Sabha, saying the action was unjustified. He stated, "Raghav Chadha has not spoken any such word, yet it is unknown why AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal is angry. The party wants its workers to work like slaves... This is an independent country, which is why Raghav Chadha refused to do slavery, and this is why such action is being taken against him." The minister's remarks come amid internal party tensions in the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) following Chadha's removal, highlighting concerns over leadership decisions and worker autonomy within the party.

Party Defends Decision

Raghav Chadha's removal as AAP's Deputy Leader in the Rajya Sabha was a decision defended by Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann as part of the party's normal functioning. "This is regular party functioning... Those who break party lines should be subjected to action," Mann said, adding that it was Chadha's own call on what statement he wanted to make.

AAP Delhi President Saurabh Bhardwaj also criticised Chadha, accusing him of prioritising "soft PR" in Parliament over major national issues. "We are all soldiers of Arvind Kejriwal ji, and we have learnt only one thing: 'jo dar gaya samjho mar gaya' (those who are afraid are as good as dead)...Because a small party has very limited time in the Parliament, it is more important to raise the big issues of the country," Bhardwaj said.

Saurabh also criticised Chadha, citing concerns over his reluctance to raise issues against the Central Government. Speaking to ANI, Bhardwaj asserted that he "consistently hangs back" whenever the party wants to raise issues against the Central government in Parliament.

Raghav Chadha Responds

Chadha, however, defended his record on social media, asserting that he consistently raises public issues such as toll and bank charges, food adulteration, taxation of content creators, and delivery worker concerns. "Whenever I get a chance to speak in the Parliament, I raise public issues. And perhaps I raise topics that are not usually raised in the Parliament. But is raising public issues a crime? Have I committed a crime? Have I made a mistake? Have I done something wrong?" Chadha asked.

New Deputy Leader Appointed

Following his removal, Ashok Kumar Mittal has been appointed as the new Deputy Leader of AAP in the Rajya Sabha. (ANI)

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