Hours after the Aam Aadmi Party moved to remove him as its deputy leader in the Rajya Sabha, MP Raghav Chadha broke his silence not with words, but with a video and a single emoji.
The 37-year-old parliamentarian shared a compilation of his interventions in the Upper House on his social media, covering issues ranging from air pollution and rising airfares to gig workers’ rights and the 28-day validity of mobile prepaid plans. He added no caption only a nazar amulet emoji, a Mediterranean talisman widely believed to ward off the “evil eye” and absorb negative energy.
AAP Writes to Rajya Sabha Secretariat, Names Replacement
Earlier that day, the AAP formally wrote to the Rajya Sabha secretariat seeking Chadha’s removal as the party’s deputy leader in the House. Punjab MP Ashok Mittal has been proposed as his replacement. The letter also stated that Chadha should no longer be allotted speaking time from the party’s quota in the House.
The AAP leadership, however, played down the move, saying the process was routine and that “everyone should have a chance.” Mittal echoed that position, calling the change a normal internal party process with no specific reason behind it, and added that the party would decide on Chadha’s role in the upcoming Punjab Assembly elections.
“Everyone gets time to speak in our party; it is a democratic process. Raghav Chadha will also be given time to speak in the Rajya Sabha in the future,” Mittal said.
Also Read: AAP Replaces Raghav Chadha As Rajya Sabha Deputy Leader, Sparks Political Buzz
A Shifting Equation With Kejriwal
The development has fuelled speculation of a growing distance between Chadha and the Arvind Kejriwal-led party. Once considered one of Kejriwal’s closest confidants and a prominent AAP face in both Punjab and Delhi Chadha’s relationship with the party’s top leadership appears to have cooled in recent months.
Chadha was abroad for medical treatment when Kejriwal, then Delhi Chief Minister, was arrested in March 2024 in connection with the excise policy case. He remained away through Kejriwal’s nearly six-month incarceration and met him only a few days after his release.
More recently, Chadha was notably silent when a Delhi court discharged Kejriwal, former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, and other AAP leaders in the excise case. He also skipped Kejriwal’s subsequent press conference and a rally at Jantar Mantar.
Still Vocal in Parliament
Despite the internal turbulence, Chadha has maintained a visible public profile. A Chartered Accountant by profession, he was elected to the Rajya Sabha in May 2022 and has been appointed to the parliament’s standing committee on finance. He has continued to position himself as a parliamentarian with everyday relevance, particularly among younger audiences. The AAP currently holds 10 seats in the Rajya Sabha seven from Punjab and three from Delhi.