‘Fearful And Terrified’: AAP Hits Back At Raghav Chadha After ‘Silenced, Not Defeated’ Remark

The Aam Aadmi Party on Friday launched a sharp counterattack against its own MP Raghav Chadha, hours after he broke his silence over being sidelined in the Rajya Sabha and questioned whether raising public issues had become a ‘crime’ within the party.

In a strong response, the party accused Raghav Chadha of losing his political edge and ‘marking attendance for Modi’ instead of standing up for critical national issues.

The fiery exchange between the party and its once trusted soldier came a day after AAP replaced Raghav Chadha with Ashok Mittal as the party’s Deputy Leader in the Rajya Sabha, pushing buzz over internal tensions within the party.

‘You Have Succumbed to Fear’

The party said that AAP leaders are defined by fearlessness, invoking party chief Arvind Kejriwal, stating, "We are Kejriwal’s soldiers. Fearlessness is our defining characteristic."

Taking a direct swipe at its own Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha, AAP added, “If one is intimidated by Modi, how can they possibly fight for the country?” The party went further, accusing him of having become ‘fearful’ and ‘terrified of speaking out against the government’. 

“For the past few years, you have become fearful, Raghav. You are terrified of speaking out against Modi. You are afraid to address the real issues facing the nation,” the X post by AAP National Media In-charge Anurag Dhanda read, concluding bluntly - “You have succumbed to fear.”

‘Marking Attendance For Modi’ Charge

The Aam Aadmi Party also questioned Raghav Chadha’s conduct in Parliament, alleging that he failed to stand with the party during key moments. 

"When the party stages a walkout from the House, he chooses to remain seated, seemingly just to mark his attendance for Modi,” the party response on social media read.

AAP further criticised the Rajya Sabha MP from Punjab for not speaking up on issues involving party workers and democratic rights. “In Gujarat, hundreds of our workers were arrested by BJP-controlled police; did the honourable MP utter a single word about this in the House?” the party asked.

The statement also referred to the outrage regarding anti-SIR protests in West Bengal, claiming that when a motion was introduced against the Chief Election Commissioner over voting rights concerns, Chadha ‘refused to sign it’. 

‘Choose Nation Over Samosa Prices’

In a sharp attack on MP Raghav Chadha’s selection of issues to raise in the House, AAP said that with limited speaking time allotted to the party in the Parliament, priorities matter.

“The party is allotted very little time to speak in Parliament; within that limited window, one can either choose to struggle for the salvation of the nation or merely strive to get the price of samosas reduced in the airport canteen,” the party said, in an apparent dig at Chadha recently raising concerns over high airport food prices.

‘Silenced, Not Defeated’: Raghav Chadha Breaks Silence 

The sharp counterattack from Aam Aadmi Party came after Raghav Chadha earlier in the day posted a video on X, saying his silence in Parliament should not be mistaken for defeat.

“Have I committed a crime? Have I made a mistake? Have I done something wrong?” he asked, claiming that AAP had informed the Rajya Sabha Secretariat to stop him from speaking.

Chadha highlighted how he consistently raised issues affecting the common man, including the high cost of airport food, problems faced by delivery workers, food adulteration, toll and banking charges, and taxation burdens on the middle class. He also highlighted concerns in the telecom sector, including frequent recharge cycles and lack of data rollover, arguing that his interventions directly benefited citizens.

‘Do Not Mistake My Silence for Defeat’

Expressing disappointed over being snubbed by his own party from Rajya Sabha party deputy leader post, Raghav Chadha declared in a strong note - “Do not consider my silence as my defeat…I am that river which becomes a flood when the time comes”. He also thanked people for their ‘unlimited love’ and urged continued support.