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‘Not a talking point. It's my soul’: Raghav Chadha defends record on Punjab in Parliament after AAP criticism
Raghav Chadha shared a compilation of his speeches, saying, “To my colleagues in AAP who were forced to issue videos”, claiming he failed to raise Punjab issues
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Raghav Chadha on Sunday pushed back against criticism from within his own party, which accused him of failing to raise Punjab-related issues during his tenure as the party’s deputy leader in the Rajya Sabha, a day after he was removed from the post.
Responding to the allegations, Chadha shared a video on social media compiling snippets from his speeches in the Upper House, signalling a sharp rebuttal to what appeared to be coordinated criticism from the Punjab unit.
In the clips, he can be heard raising a range of Punjab-centric concerns — from the demand to grant heritage city status to Anandpur Sahib to issues like minimum support price (MSP) for farmers, a proposed corridor to Shri Nankana Sahib, and air pollution.
Chadha fires back
Accompanying the video, Chadha took a direct swipe at his critics within the party. “To my colleagues in AAP who were forced to issue videos saying that ‘Raghav Chadha failed to raise Punjab’s issues in Parliament’, here is a small trailer…Picture Abhi Baaki Hai."
He further wrote, "Punjab isn’t a talking point for me. It is my home, my duty, my soil, my soul”.
AAP leaders flag ‘inaction’
The response comes after AAP leaders in Punjab on Saturday questioned Chadha’s record, alleging that he had remained silent on several pressing issues concerning the state.
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In a joint statement, Punjab finance minister Harpal Singh Cheema, state party chief Aman Arora, and senior leader Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal described his alleged inaction as “disappointing” and not in line with the party’s principles, reported news agency ANI.
Cheema said Chadha, who was elected to the Rajya Sabha by Punjab MLAs, was expected to strongly represent the state at the national level. However, he claimed that the MP did not raise “even a single sensitive issue” related to Punjab in Parliament.
Key financial issues ignored, says AAP
Listing specific concerns, Cheema pointed to around ₹8,500 crore in pending Rural Development Fund (RDF) dues and nearly ₹60,000 crore in GST-related losses that, he said, were not highlighted in Parliament.
Also Read | Raghav Chadha says ‘silenced, not defeated’, AAP leaders hit back after Rajya Sabha move
He also flagged financial setbacks linked to changes in GST compensation and issues around funding under the National Health Mission, alleging that these too were not taken up by Chadha, the ANI report added.
Another point of contention was the Centre’s relief package following last year’s floods in Punjab. Cheema said the state has not received the full ₹1,600 crore announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and added that the matter was not raised in the House.
‘Disappointing’ silence, says party
Terming Chadha’s silence “disappointing”, Cheema said the party had expected him to take up these matters with the Centre, stressing that such “inaction” runs contrary to AAP’s core principles.
Echoing similar concerns, Arora said raising public issues without fear is fundamental to the party’s ethos, and any deviation from that is “unexpected”. He added that Punjab’s pending financial and relief-related matters require sustained attention at the national level, reported ANI.
Dhaliwal, meanwhile, said there was visible resentment among flood-affected residents, who had hoped their concerns over compensation and relief would be raised in Parliament.
