Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha on Thursday issued his first public statement after the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) formally requested the Rajya Sabha Secretariat to deny him speaking time in the House and removed him from the post of Deputy Leader.

In a nearly three-minute video message, Chadha expressed surprise at the party’s decision while firmly asserting that raising issues concerning the common citizen cannot be considered a crime.

“Whenever I get the opportunity to speak in Parliament, I raise public issues. However, is raising public issues or discussing public matters a crime? Have I done something wrong?” he asked.

He revealed that the AAP had written to the Rajya Sabha Secretariat asking that he not be allotted any time to speak from the party’s quota.

The move follows his replacement as Deputy Leader by Punjab MP Ashok Mittal on April 2.

Listing several consumer and middle-class issues he has repeatedly highlighted in Parliament, Chadha said:

High prices of food at airports
Problems faced by delivery riders of platforms such as Blinkit and Zomato
Food adulteration
“Loot” at toll plazas
Excessive bank charges
Tax burden on the middle class
Challenges faced by content creators
Telecom companies are forcing frequent recharges without data rollover and blocking incoming calls after recharge expiry

“These issues have benefited the commoners of the country. However, what loss has the Aam Aadmi Party suffered because of this?” he questioned.

Chadha thanked the public for their unwavering support, saying their love and encouragement have always strengthened his resolve.

“I belong to you, and I am for you. Please keep holding my hand and supporting me, do not leave me,” he appealed.

In a powerful closing remark addressed to those behind the decision, he declared: “Do not mistake my silence for my defeat. I am like a river that turns into a flood when the time comes. Jai Hind.”

The development has sparked intense speculation about internal differences within the AAP.

Party sources have described the change as a routine organizational readjustment, while political observers view it as a significant sidelining of one of the party’s more vocal parliamentarians.

Chadha, elected to the Rajya Sabha from Punjab in 2022, has earned recognition for consistently raising everyday consumer and middle-class concerns that rarely feature in parliamentary debates.