Raghav Chadha faces fresh heat from AAP over ‘deleted anti-BJP posts’

The controversy over AAP MP Raghav Chadha's demotion in his party has got more complicated after his party colleague Saurabh Bharadwaj pointed out on Saturday (April 4) that Chadha has deleted several posts on X that were critical of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP.

The move has fuelled questions about his political direction amid rising tensions within the party.

In a post on X, Bharadwaj claimed that Raghav’s account shows no criticism of Modi or the BJP, and instead features posts praising the Prime Minister.

"Raghav Chadha, who was once a sharp critic of Modi and the BJP, has completely erased his old image and presented a new, polished version of himself like one put through a washing machine," said Bharadwaj.

Also read: Raghav Chadha: From Kejriwal’s blue-eyed boy to sidelined aide

He also posted screenshots of Chadha’s deleted posts to support his claim that all content critical of the Centre had been removed.

Calling it “more than a routine clean-up,” the Delhi AAP chief said Chadha had effectively recast his public profile on the platform. He added that the systematic changes to Chadha’s timeline point to a well-planned effort behind the move.

“This isn’t a routine cleanup, but a complete, surgical erasure of his digital history. Raghav Chadha, once a sharp critic of Modi and the BJP, has wiped out his old image and presented a new, polished one. When someone’s timeline is altered this systematically, you can imagine the level of preparation behind it,” Bharadwaj wrote.

'Soft PR' allegation

The controversy comes against the backdrop of a growing rift between Chadha and his party after the former was replaced by Ashok Mittal as deputy leader in the Rajya Sabha. The party also curtailed his speaking opportunities in the House.

The party leadership criticised Chadha for using his parliamentary time to discuss ‘soft PR’ topics like airport food prices, flight delays, and menstrual hygiene. Senior party leaders, including Atishi and Anurag Dhanda, also accused him of not avoiding direct attacks on the BJP and PM Modi.

Also read: ‘Silenced, not defeated’: Chadha slams AAP, party accuses him of ‘soft PR’

He has also faced accusations of skipping Opposition walkouts and not adequately raising Punjab-specific issues.

Chadha responds

Chadha has rejected the criticism, calling it a “coordinated campaign” against him. He defended his parliamentary record, stating that his focus has always been on substantive public issues rather than disruption.

In a video message, he called himself a ‘wounded tiger’, referencing a dialogue from the latest Bollywood film, Dhurandhar, and said, “Ghayal hoon isiliye ghatak hoon”.

“When the Opposition walks out of Parliament, Raghav Chadha stays — he doesn’t walk out. This is false. I challenge you to cite even one instance when the Opposition decided to walk out and I did not support them,” he said.

Responding to the allegation of not signing the impeachment motion against the chief election commissioner, Chadha said only 50 signatures were required out of 105 Opposition MPs in the Upper House, and when ‘six or seven MPs from AAP did not sign the motion’, why was he being singled out?

On claims that he did not raise Punjab-related issues in Parliament, Chadha shared a video highlighting his interventions on key concerns affecting the state. "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 said.

Speculation on the next move

Tension had been brewing since March 2024, when Chadha was reportedly absent during party convenor Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest and subsequent incarceration, citing eye surgery in the UK.