Chadha shares video proof of raising Punjab issues in RS

Days after his removal as the Aam Aadmi Party’s Deputy Leader in Rajya Sabha, Raghav Chadha on Sunday hit back at his party colleagues’ allegation that he did not raise Punjab’s issues in Parliament with a video of him mentioning matters related to Punjab in the Upper House.

To counter the allegations made against him, the sidelined Member of Parliament shared a compiled video of his speeches in the Upper House on Punjab-centric issues, including pressing for a Nankana Sahib corridor, seeking legal guarantees for Minimum Support Price (MSP) for farmers, recommending a Bharat Ratna for Bhagat Singh, and demanding the return of the royal throne of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, among others on the social media.

To substantiate his argument, the Rajya Sabha MP wrote on X, “To my colleagues in AAP who were forced to issue videos saying that ‘Raghav Chadha failed to raise Punjab’s issues in Parliament’, here is a small trailer…Picture Abhi Baaki Hai. Punjab isn’t a talking point for me. It is my home, my duty, my soil, my soul.” Chadha was removed as the Aam Aadmi Party’s Deputy Leader in Rajya Sabha last week, following months of frosty ties with the party leadership, including national convener Arvind Kejriwal. Chadha has traded barbs with top AAP leaders since. The 37-year-old said in his social media posts that he has been “silenced, not defeated”. He has alleged a “scripted campaign” and a “coordinated attack” against him and said AAP leaders were using the “same language”.

Notably, the AAP leaders have accused Chadha of not raising the state’s issues in the Rajya Sabha. “Raghav Chadha was elected to the Rajya Sabha by Punjab’s MLAs with the expectation that he would strongly represent the state’s concerns at the national level. However, he completely avoided raising even a single sensitive issue related to Punjab,” Punjab Minister Harpal Singh Cheema said. “AAP gives opportunities to common people, but remaining silent on such crucial issues is a betrayal of Punjab and its people,” Cheema said.