Delhi BJP President Virendra Sachdeva criticised AAP for removing Raghav Chadha as Deputy Leader in the Rajya Sabha, calling it an 'objectionable' move to silence him. AAP leaders defended the decision, while Chadha questioned the move.
BJP Slams 'Highly Objectionable' Move
Delhi BJP President Virendra Sachdeva on Friday criticised the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) following the removal of MP Raghav Chadha from the post of Deputy Leader in the Rajya Sabha, calling the party's move "highly objectionable."
"Deciding who to appoint as a leader or sub-leader is an internal decision of any party. AAP has done it too, but the way it has been written to the Rajya Sabha Secretariat that Raghav Chadha should not be allowed to speak is highly objectionable," Sachdeva told ANI.
"As a parliamentarian, it is the responsibility of an MP to raise their voice on regional issues or matters that are in the interest of society, which Raghav Chadha has been doing from time to time. Arvind Kejriwal is a coward and a weak person. He cannot tolerate the opposition, whether it comes from outside or from within his own party. Based on Arvind Kejriwal's nature so far, he only likes to run a collective or organised gang," Sachdeva added.
Delhi Minister Kapil Mishra also criticised AAP's internal politics, alleging corruption within the party. "Delhi has been looted, Punjab has been looted, and now a fight has broken out among the gang of thieves over the division of the money. If someone has a tongue in their mouth and a spine in their back, they can't last long in Arvind Kejriwal's party. Only the spineless, the corrupt, the commission agents--people who have no existence of their own and only work to take commissions and loot the public--can survive," Mishra said.
AAP Defends Decision
The development follows Raghav Chadha's removal as AAP's Deputy Leader in the Rajya Sabha, 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.
'Is Raising Public Issues a Crime?': 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.
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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