Amid the ongoing rift within the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Atishi, the Leader of Opposition in Delhi, responded on Friday after AAP MP Raghav Chadha spoke out following his removal as Deputy Leader in the Rajya Sabha and the subsequent appointment of Ashok Mittal to that position.
She stated that if the BJP has jumped to his side and is praising him, and even questioning why he hasn’t joined them (BJP), it clearly shows where everyone stands. This comes after Chadha took to the social media platform X and posted, “Silenced, not defeated.
My message to the ‘aam aadmi’: Khamosh karwaya gaya hun, hara nahi hun.” Speaking to IANS, Atishi said the situation had made political alignments evident. “It is perfectly clear; there is no need for me to say anything more. If the BJP has jumped to his side and is praising him, and questioning why he hasn’t joined them, it clearly shows where everyone stands,” she said while speaking to IANS.
Atishi further clarified that the issue was not about personal relationships. “This is not about personal clashes or individual ties. Raghav Chadha is my friend; we have worked together in politics and in the Aam Aadmi Party for the past 15 years. This is not about friendship.
This is about the country and its Constitution,” she told IANS. She also raised concerns about the state of democracy in the country, alleging electoral irregularities. “Today, democracy and the Constitution are under attack. What is happening in West Bengal allegations of wrongful vote counting and administrative bias mirrors what we witnessed during the Delhi elections.
The BJP is misusing institutions like the Election Commission, and the sanctity of democracy is being compromised,” Atishi said. Referring to parliamentary actions, she said that when the Trinamool Congress brought an impeachment motion, Chadha did not sign it, and when the Opposition staged a walkout, he chose not to participate.
“When the party asked him to raise issues such as LPG cylinder prices affecting common people, he did not do so. Similarly, he did not raise concerns about the government’s stance on international matters,” she added.