Delhi, April 3: A fresh internal rift within the Aam Aadmi Party surfaced publicly on Friday, as senior leaders, including Raghav Chadha and Saurabh Bharadwaj, exchanged sharp accusations following Chadha’s removal as Deputy Leader in the Rajya Sabha.
The confrontation escalated soon after Chadha released a video statement alleging that he was being silenced for raising public issues. In response, multiple party leaders issued counter statements accusing him of aligning with the Centre and failing to effectively challenge those in power.
Bharadwaj released a video rebuttal, criticising Chadha’s political conduct and alleging a decline from what he described as a previously “high moral space.” He, along with other party members identifying themselves as loyalists of Arvind Kejriwal, questioned Chadha’s approach in Parliament, arguing that larger national concerns should take precedence over what they termed “soft PR.”
He further pointed to several issues where Chadha, an MP from Punjab, was accused of not actively raising matters in the Rajya Sabha. These included alleged action against party workers in Gujarat and concerns related to voting rights in West Bengal. Bharadwaj also criticised Chadha’s absence during key moments, including when Kejriwal was in custody, stating that political engagement requires direct confrontation rather than restraint.
Party media in-charge Anurag Dhanda also joined the criticism, accusing Chadha of hesitating to speak against the central leadership and questioning his silence on key political developments. He reiterated concerns over issues in Gujarat and West Bengal, and referred to Chadha’s refusal to support a proposal against the Chief Election Commissioner in the House.
Chadha, in his earlier statement, maintained that his silence should not be interpreted as weakness, signalling dissent against the party leadership’s actions.
The public exchange follows Chadha’s removal from the position of Deputy Leader in the Rajya Sabha and his replacement by Punjab MP Ashok Mittal. The development has brought internal disagreements within the party into the open, with leaders taking opposing positions through public statements and social media posts.
The episode marks a visible escalation of tensions within the party, with both sides articulating their positions amid an ongoing leadership reshuffle.
