New Delhi: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has written to the Rajya Sabha Secretariat to replace MP Raghav Chadha as its Deputy Leader in the Upper House and appoint Ashok Mittal in his place, party sources said on Thursday.
According to sources, the letter also states that Chadha should not be allotted speaking time in the House from the party’s quota. Chadha, a Rajya Sabha MP from Punjab, has in recent months remained largely silent on party matters and has been absent from several public events led by AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal.
Once seen as a close confidant of Kejriwal and among the youngest MPs in the country, Chadha had played a key role in party affairs, particularly in Punjab and during AAP’s tenure in Delhi. Party leaders, however, indicated that he has been increasingly sidelined from campaigns and organisational responsibilities in other states, even as he continued to raise issues such as high airfares and the condition of gig workers.
Meanwhile, Chadha reacted sharply to the move, saying he had been “silenced, not defeated”. In a video statement, he alleged that his own party had informed the Rajya Sabha Secretariat to stop him from speaking in Parliament.
“Whenever I raise issues concerning the people, is that a crime?” Chadha said, questioning the decision and asserting that his silence should not be mistaken for defeat.
Responding to the development, Mittal said he had been entrusted with the role by the party’s leadership and would carry out his responsibilities sincerely, describing the change as a routine internal process.
The AAP currently has 10 members in the Rajya Sabha, including seven from Punjab and three from Delhi.
