NEW DELHI: The fault lines within the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) have burst into the open, with senior leaders publicly taking aim at Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha in an unusually sharp and direct escalation a day after the party removed him from the deputy leader’s post in the Rajya Sabha.The flashpoint came after Chadha questioned his removal, triggering pointed rebuttals from leaders like Saurabh Bhardwaj, former CM Atishi, Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann and MP Sanjay Singh.Senior AAP leaders alleged that Chadha appeared reluctant to confront PM Narendra Modi and had not been voicing concerns aligned with the party’s position. They pointed to his refusal to sign the notice demanding the removal of CEC Gyanesh Kumar, as well as his deviation from the party’s stance during walkouts in the House.
‘Are You Scared Of PM Modi ?’
Former Delhi chief minister Atishi, in a post on X, raised pointed questions for Chadha.“Are you scared of Modi Ji?” she asked.She also said, “Common man facing issue due to LPG, but you didn’t say anything on LPG crisis.”Adding to her criticism, Atishi said, “Why do you fear the BJP so much? Why are you afraid to ask questions to PM Modi? You stayed silent when BJP workers rigged elections in Delhi. You kept quiet even when democracy is under attack in West Bengal. Today, one of the biggest concerns for the common man is the LPG crisis.”“As an MP, you may not feel its impact—but what about ordinary citizens? When AAP raised this issue and urged you to speak, you remained silent again. You were in London while AAP workers were out on the streets of Delhi, fighting for the common man,” she added.“We are soldiers of Arvind Kejriwal and not scared of PM Narendra Modi. Either you decide if you are with consitititon or Narendra Modi,” Atishi said.
‘He is compromised’
Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann defended the decision to remove Chadha, calling it routine party functioning.“This is regular party functioning. It is his call on what statement he wants to make,” Mann said.He added, “Those who break party lines should be subjected to action.”
“In Lok Sabha or Rajya Sabha, the opposition takes many decisions. Any member who goes against the party line, it goes against the party whip. Hence, if you go against the whip, you are bound to face action,” he said.Replying to a question, Mann said Chadha is “compromised” and has gone against the party whip.“I don’t know what he has said in his statement. If the party (AAP) gives a line – to raise issues like valid votes being deleted (in West Bengal), out of 160 leaders and volunteers being booked in Gujarat, or Punjab’s issues of attempts to polarise communities, or issues of minimum support price (MSP), or the Centre holding back funds of goods and services tax (GST) or rural development fund (RDF).”“But if someone raises issues of samosas at airports or pizza delivery time, won’t it raise doubts that he is talking from a different station,” Mann said.
‘You are scared, Raghav’
AAP leader Anurag Dhanda also hit back at Chadha, alleging that he had been “scared” for the past few years and hesitant to speak against Prime Minister Narendra Modi.“The party get little time to speak in Parliament, under which it can either save the nation or call out for ‘making samosas cheap at the airport,’” he said.“We are Kejriwal’s soldiers. Fearlessness is our first identity. If someone fears Modi, will they fight for the country? In Parliament, the party gets just a little time to speak— in that, we can either struggle to save the nation or push to make samosas cheaper in the airport canteen,” he added.Dhanda further alleged that Chadha refused to sign a proposal against the Chief Election Commissioner and did not speak when AAP workers were being arrested.“In Gujarat, our hundreds of workers have been arrested by BJP’s police — will the honourable MP say something in the House? In West Bengal, the right to vote is being snatched away. When a proposal against the CEC came up in the House, Brother Sahib refused to sign it. When the party walked out of the House, they stayed back to mark attendance for Modi Ji. For the past few years, you’ve been scared, Raghav. You hesitate to speak against Modi. You hesitate to speak on the real issues of the country,” Dhanda added.
‘Party of one individual, Arvind Kejriwal’
The BJP also criticised AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal, saying the party has become about “one individual” and that somebody “with a sense of truth” cannot stay with him.Talking to IANS, BJP MP Praveen Khandelwal said, “This clearly shows that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is no longer a party of the common people, but has become a party of one individual, Arvind Kejriwal. As long as people continue to flatter him, they remain in the party.”
