Sidelined Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Raghav Chadha on Saturday launched a sharp counterattack against his party leadership, a day after he was removed as Deputy Leader in the Rajya Sabha and publicly criticised by senior colleagues.

Chadha termed the allegations against him a “scripted campaign” and a “coordinated attack,” rejecting all charges levelled by party leaders. In a video message shared on social media, he said he would expose “every lie” and defend his parliamentary record.

Responding to accusations that he did not participate in opposition walkouts in the Rajya Sabha, Chadha called the claim “completely false,” challenging anyone to provide evidence. He also denied refusing to sign the impeachment motion against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, stating that no formal or informal request was made to him and that several party MPs had also not signed it.

On criticism that he raised “trivial issues” in Parliament, Chadha said his focus had been on public concerns including GST, income tax, Punjab’s water issues, Delhi’s air pollution, healthcare, education, unemployment and inflation. He asserted that his role was to raise impactful issues rather than create disruption.

The escalation comes after AAP leaders, including Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, Rajya Sabha leader Sanjay Singh, and Delhi leader Atishi, accused Chadha of deviating from the party line and being less aggressive against the ruling NDA and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Mann alleged that Chadha avoided key political issues while raising less critical topics, questioning his alignment with party priorities. Singh also criticised his silence on several issues, while Atishi raised questions about his absence during key political developments.

The tensions intensified after AAP replaced Chadha with Ashok Kumar Mittal as Deputy Leader in the Rajya Sabha, formally informing the Secretariat of the change.

Chadha, who has been a Rajya Sabha MP from Punjab since 2022 and was once considered a close aide of AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal, signalled that the confrontation is far from over. He warned that his silence should not be mistaken for weakness and questioned why he was being denied the opportunity to speak in Parliament.

The developments point to an escalating internal rift within AAP, with both sides exchanging sharp accusations as the political standoff deepens.