New Delhi: There is a rift between the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and its Rajya Sabha MP. Raghav Chadha The matter has deepened, with senior leaders publicly accusing him of betrayal and linking the recent Enforcement Directorate (ED) action against party MP Ashok Mittal to internal repercussions. The rise comes amid reports of Chadha being given Z category security by the Centre, which has drawn sharp reaction from AAP leaders who have alleged political collusion.
‘BJP people came out to rescue Raghav‘: Bhardwaj targets Chadha
AAP MLA Saurabh Bhardwaj launched a direct attack on Chadha and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), alleging a coordinated pattern in central agencies, political appointments and security cover.In a post on X, Bhardwaj said: “The BJP government’s toolbox is very predictable. Raghav Chadha was threatened by ED and he decided to backstab his party due to fear or greed which made him MP or whatever he is today. When Raghav was called out on social media, BJP people came to Raghav’s defence. AAP appointed Ashok Mittal in place of Raghav on the post of deputy leader. Now instead of chasing Raghav, ED goes after Ashok Mittal and raids his house and business. And the Center gave Z+ security to Raghav Chadha. All this seems to be connected to each other to a great extent. That’s why the BJP government is so desperate that they raided MP Ashok Mittal for Raghav Chadha. According to sources, Raghav Chadha is behind the ED raid on AAP MP Ashok Mittal.The comments reflect growing distrust within the AAP, where Chadha’s recent removal as deputy leader in the Rajya Sabha has led to a wider political and organizational crisis.
ED raid on Ashok Mittal has caused political uproar
ED searches premises linked to AAP Rajya Sabha MP Ashok Kumar Mittal Punjab And under the Haryana Foreign Exchange Management Act. Officials said around 10 locations in Jalandhar and Gurugram were covered, including sites associated with Lovely Professional University and related educational institutions.Mittal, who replaced Chadha as the deputy leader in the Upper House, is also the chancellor of Phagwara-based university. AAP leaders have described this action as politically motivated, especially in the context of the upcoming Punjab Assembly elections.There has been no immediate reaction from BJP on the allegations of AAP leaders.
Kejriwal accused BJP of using agencies before elections
AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal accused the Center of starting political action before the elections.In a post on X, he said, “Modi ji has started preparations for elections in Punjab. But, the people of Punjab will not tolerate this… They will give a befitting reply to BJP.”Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann also condemned the raids and expressed concern that central agencies were being used as part of election tactics.AAP leader Anurag Dhanda questioned whether the BJP can fight elections without relying on agencies like the ED and CBI, while senior leader Manish Sisodia alleged a pattern where political mobilization is followed by enforcement action.
Sanjay Singh attacked the Centre, called the raid ‘an example of the same game’
AAP MP Sanjay Singh intensified his attack, accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of misusing institutions for electoral gains.“Wherever elections are held, BJP uses its agencies. PM Modi’s popularity has reduced across the country. Now his only option is to misuse ED, CBI and Election Commission to win elections. This formula of BJP will not work in Punjab. The sudden and big attack on Ashok Mittal is an example of the same game.” Everyone is standing together strongly and I will try to raise this issue in the session also. These people will play many such games before the Punjab elections.”Punjab minister Balbir Singh also criticized the BJP, alleging misuse of agencies and calling the action politically motivated.
BJP hits back, calls AAP ‘party of thieves’
Responding to the allegations, Union Minister Ravneet Singh Bittu hit back at AAP and accused it of corruption.He said, “Bhagwant Maan, your party is a party of thieves and robbers. The people of Punjab are filing cases against state ministers and the investigating agencies are catching some corrupt MPs. Modi ji’s policy is Swachh Bharat, under this the filth will definitely be cleaned.”The heated exchange underlines the intensifying political battle in Punjab ahead of elections, with both sides alleging corruption and abuse of power.
What is the reason for AAP vs Raghav Chadha controversy?
The current crisis is linked to Chadha’s removal as deputy leader in the Rajya Sabha, a move that is being considered a major blow to one of the key national faces of AAP. Chadha, once a close aide of Kejriwal and considered the key strategist behind the party’s Punjab victory in 2022, has found himself at odds with the leadership in recent months.AAP leaders accused him of deviating from the party line, indulging in what they call “soft PR” and failing to aggressively target the Center in Parliament. They also pointed to his absence during key political moments, including protests and leadership crises.However, Chadha has rejected the allegations, calling them baseless and politically motivated. In a video message, he said his silence should not be interpreted as weakness and challenged the party to provide evidence for its claims.The fallout has now moved beyond internal disagreements to a full-scale public confrontation, with leaders openly questioning Chadha’s loyalty and intentions. Bhardwaj’s comment linking the ED action to the ED action has further escalated the tension, being one of the sharpest attacks by the party against its own MP.This development comes at a crucial time for AAP, especially in Punjab where it is in power and facing upcoming electoral challenges. The combination of internal dissent, central agency actions and political attacks from rivals has created an unstable environment for the party.
IAEA chief Rafael Grossi said during a visit to Seoul on Wednesday that the monitoring indicated a “rapid increase in operations” at the Yongbyon nuclear complex, the central hub of Pyongyang’s nuclear program.“In our periodic assessments, we have been able to confirm that there has been a rapid increase in reactor operations at Yongbyon,” Grossi said, warning that all signs point to an expansion in North Korea’s weapons production capacity.
