‘Let my work do the talking’: Raghav Chadha shares video amid AAP rift
New Delhi: Amid internal rift within the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Rajya Sabha member Raghav Chadha on Friday shared a message on Instagram asserting that his parliamentary work would speak for itself.
Taking to the social media platform Instagram, Chadha posted a video and wrote, “With respect, to those questioning my parliamentary performance, I’ll let my work do the talking.”
The video featured a compilation of his interventions and questions raised in the Rajya Sabha, highlighting a wide range of public policy issues he has addressed.
In the video, Chadha is seen raising concerns on several matters, including the problem of data expiry, the need to make paternity leave a legal right, and the demand to end minimum balance penalties in banks. He also spoke about issues such as food adulteration, incoming call charges, 28-day recharge scam, taxation concerns, and excess baggage charges in airlines.
Further, he addressed broader systemic challenges such as paper leak scams, air pollution, exploitation of gig workers, delays in health insurance claims, and alleged irregularities at toll plazas. The video also included his remarks on expensive airport food, data privacy breaches, the demand for a free annual health check-up as a right, and rising airfares.
Chadha additionally raised concerns over digital copyright strikes, GST reforms, the debt-to-GDP ratio, and tax relief for persons with disabilities and members of the armed forces. His interventions also touched upon the legalisation of virtual digital assets, labour reforms such as “right to hire and fire”, and comparisons of taxation and service delivery standards.
Among other issues highlighted were rising inflation, the cancer train of Punjab, joint tax filing, rural banking infrastructure, water scarcity, and the digitisation of land records using blockchain technology. He also spoke about expanding UDAN cafes across India, urban traffic congestion, misleading product branding, and the gap between education and employment.
The video further showcased his demands related to wage indexation, conferring the Bharat Ratna on Bhagat Singh, ‘One Nation, One Medical Treatment,’ menstrual hygiene, and Minimum Support Price (MSP) for farmers. Chadha also raised concerns about vanishing groundwater levels in Punjab, access to drinking water, and issues related to the state’s heritage and infrastructure, including international flight connectivity.
The post comes at a time when speculation is mounting about Chadha’s position within AAP. On April 8, a separate Instagram post shared by him drew attention after it featured a purported supporter suggesting that he should form a new youth-led political party instead of joining any existing organisation.
In the 22-second video, the supporter said that forming a “Gen Z party” could be a better option for Chadha, as it would attract strong youth backing and avoid potential backlash that might come from joining another political outfit. Reposting the clip, Chadha responded briefly, writing, “Interesting thought”, accompanied by a thoughtful emoji.
The developments follow recent changes within the party. On April 2, AAP appointed Ashok Mittal as its new Deputy Leader in the Rajya Sabha, replacing Chadha in the role. The move was seen as a significant organisational shift, bringing in a new face from Punjab.
Earlier, on April 3, Chadha broke his silence on the development, stating that he had been “silenced, not defeated”.