After AAP Demotion, Raghav Chadha Posts Video Of Issues Raised In Parliament

Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha issued his first public statement on Thursday, just hours after the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) stripped him of the post of deputy leader in the Upper House of Parliament. The move by the Arvind Kejriwal-led party has triggered fresh discussion about internal dynamics within AAP, once viewed as a tightly knit group built around its founder. 

Chadha's response was a video posted on his X account. The video featured him without making any reference to his removal or to any tensions with the party leadership. The video consists of a series of short clips drawn from Chadha's recent speeches in the Rajya Sabha. 

They show him raising issues that affect ordinary citizens and the wider economy. One segment covers the rules governing the expiry of mobile data packages. Another focuses on the working conditions of gig workers employed by quick-commerce platforms. 

🧿 pic.twitter.com/J1XgmpgOnv

— Raghav Chadha (@raghav_chadha) April 2, 2026

Earlier on Thursday, AAP formally notified the Rajya Sabha Secretariat that Chadha should no longer be given time to speak in the chamber. 

In place of Chadha, the party has named Ashok Mittal, a member from Punjab and chancellor of Lovely Professional University, as the new deputy leader. Sanjay Singh remains the leader of the AAP group in the House. The party now holds ten seats in the 245-member Rajya Sabha -- seven from Punjab and three from Delhi -- making it the fourth-largest group after the BJP, the Congress and the Trinamool Congress.

Chadha, who turned 37 earlier this year, has been associated with AAP since the party was founded in 2012. He first encountered Kejriwal during the final stages of the India Against Corruption campaign, when discussions were underway about whether to convert the movement into a political outfit. At the time Chadha was 23. 

He joined the fledgling party and was given the task of drafting the Delhi Lokpal Bill, one of its early legislative priorities. A chartered accountant by training and an alumnus of Delhi's Modern School, Chadha quickly became one of the party's most visible national spokespersons. He appeared regularly on television debates and, at the age of 26, was appointed national treasurer.

In the 2020 Delhi Assembly election, he won the Rajinder Nagar seat and was subsequently made vice-chairman of the Delhi Jal Board. Two years later, in 2022, he entered the Rajya Sabha as an AAP nominee. For much of that period he was regarded as part of Kejriwal's inner circle and as one of the party's most senior figures. His demotion therefore marks a sharp change in status.

While AAP has not officially spelled out the reason behind what is being seen as Chadha's demotion, buzz about his place in the party has been doing the rounds for months now.

Chadha's absence from key party activities and his silence on developments such as the clean chit to Kejriwal and AAP leader Manish Sisodia sparked speculation in the corridors of power. Chadha, however, has been raising key issues in the Rajya Sabha, including high food prices at airports, gig workers' rights, and traffic congestion in major cities.

NDTV has reached out to Chadha's office for a comment.

Mittal thanked Kejriwal for giving him the responsibility. "Our party is a democratic party and allows every leader to learn the ropes. First, ND Gupta was the deputy leader, then it was Chadha ji and now it is me," he told NDTV.

Some of the key issues Raghav raised in Parliament:

• Gig Workers' Issue: Raised concerns about low wages, the 10-minute delivery model, and lack of social security for delivery partners working with companies like Blinkit, Zomato, and Swiggy.
• Digital Content Creators: Demanded amendments to the Copyright Act, 1957 to protect teachers and influencers from algorithmic bias and wrongful content takedowns.
• Healthcare Sector: Advocated for "One Nation, One Health Treatment" and raised concerns over the condition and practices of private hospitals.
• Food Adulteration: Highlighted the issue of food adulteration, including the use of urea and other harmful substances, in the Rajya Sabha.
• Affordable Food at Airports: Proposed that affordable food options be made available in departure areas of all 150+ airports for passengers.
• 28-Day Recharge Issue: Suggested that mobile recharge plans should be valid for a full calendar month (30 or 31 days) instead of 28 days, with unused data carried forward.
• Bank Penalties: Proposed abolishing penalties charged for not maintaining minimum bank balance.
• Joint Income Tax Filing: Suggested introducing an option for married couples to file income tax jointly.
• Paternity Leave: Argued that paternity leave should be made a legal right in India.