Raghav Chadha Turns Blinkit Rider Amid Row Over Gig Workers' Demands

Rajya Sabha MP and Aam Aadmi Party leader Raghav Chadha turned into a delivery rider, as he chose to step "away from boardrooms".

In a video he shared on X, Chadha was seen changing into the Blinkit uniform, sitting with a rider and holding a delivery bag as they left to collect items from a store and then to the delivery location. At the customer's location, the rider steps out the lift and Chadha follows. The video then ends with the message "Stay tuned".

Chadha's video came days after he spent New Year's Eve with gig workers on day they held a nationwide strike, with the aim of highlighting their demands and working conditions. He has been a staunch critic of the 10-minute delivery promises made by quick commerce platforms. He has said that such deadlines put immense pressure on riders and compromise their safety.

While raising the issue during Zero Hour in the Rajya Sabha last year, he urged the House to look beyond convenience and consider the human cost of ultra-fast deliveries. "I want to tell you that these people are not robots. They are also someone's father, husband, brother, or son. The House should think about them. And the cruelty of this 10-minute delivery should end," he had said.

The nationwide strike on December 31, called jointly by the Telangana Gig and Platform Workers Union (TGPWU) and the Indian Federation of App-Based Transport Workers (IFAT), saw thousands of delivery partners across several states log off their apps or reduce work significantly. Among their demands were fair wages, dignity at work and social security.

Chadha had last month shared a post on social media that appeared to show a Blinkit delivery partner earning Rs 762 after completing 28 deliveries.