The BJP said on Friday that removing Raghav Chadha as AAP's deputy leader in Rajya Sabha was an internal matter of the party but preventing him from speaking in the House was wrong.
Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva slammed AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal as a "scared" leader who could not "tolerate any capable person" in his party.
“Deciding who to appoint as a leader or sub-leader is an internal decision of any party. AAP has done it too, but the way it has been written to the Rajya Sabha Secretariat that Raghav Chadha should not be allowed to speak is highly objectionable,” Sachdeva said.
"As a parliamentarian, it is the responsibility of an MP to raise their voice on regional issues or matters that are in the interest of society, which Raghav Chadha has been doing from time to time. Arvind Kejriwal is a coward and a weak person. He cannot tolerate the opposition, whether it comes from outside or from within his own party. Based on Arvind Kejriwal's nature so far, he only likes to run a collective or organised gang..."
When asked about buzz that the AAP leader may join the BJP, Sachdeva said it was "up to Chadha to decide his future".
The Delhi BJP president said there is a long list of such leaders who left the AAP after differences with Kejriwal, he told PTI.
"Raghav Chadha should have broken his silence long ago. Arvind Kejriwal has a talent, first he uses people and then gets rid of them," Sachdeva said.
The BJP leader said he wanted to dedicate a copulet to Chadha "Zindagi mein bas itna likh paya, bahut mazboot rishte the kuch kamzor logon se" (earned just very strong ties with some weak people in life).
Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann has sparked a political row after suggesting that AAP MP Raghav Chadha may be “compromised”. Responding to a question, Mann said that when serious concerns like alleged disenfranchisement of legitimate voters, creation of fake voters, and attempts to stoke caste and religious tensions in Punjab are ignored, it raises doubts.
Mann added that if someone instead focuses on topics like airport food prices or delivery timings, it could indicate they are “speaking from someone else’s side”. When directly asked whether Chadha is compromised, Mann responded with a blunt “Yes”, intensifying speculation of internal rifts within the party.
On Thursday, the AAP removed Chadha as the deputy leader of the party in Rajya Sabha. According to sources, the party wrote to the RS Secretariat stating that Chadha -- a Rajya Sabha MP from Punjab -- should not be allotted time for speaking in the House from the AAP's quota.
Chadha responded on Friday, saying he has been "silenced, not defeated". In a video posted on X, Chadha said, "Whenever I get a chance, I raise issues concerning the people in Parliament, including topics that are often overlooked. But is it an offence to talk about people's problems? Did I commit any crime?" The AAP soon hit back at Chadha, accusing him of shying away from raising issues against the Centre in Parliament and instead engaging in "soft PR".
Delhi AAP president Saurabh Bharadwaj alleged that Chadha failed to take the party's line on several matters in Parliament and did not join opposition walkouts on key issues.
Aam Aadmi Party's Atishi is the latest to join the list of party leaders questioning Raghav Chadha on his silence against the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government after his removal as the AAP Rajya Sabha deputy leader.
Atishi's remarks, through a video, came after Raghav Chadha said in a video message he has been “silenced”.
"Why are you so scared of BJP, why are you so scared to raise questions against BJP, Modi ji.. today our country is going through a major trouble… the Constitution is in danger… Election Commission is being misused and West Bengal election is being stolen," Atishi said.