Mumbai: After Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Raghav Chadha made his first comments since being removed as his party’s Rajya Sabha deputy leader, actor Disha Patani’s sister Khushboo Patani came out in his support, praising him for raising important issues in Parliament and urging him to start his own political party.
Raghav Chadha took to Instagram to share a video questioning his party’s decision, stating that he has always championed issues faced by the common people.
“I would like to tell those who have snatched away my right to speak in Parliament to not take my silence for defeat. I am a river that can transform into a flood when the time comes. Jai Hind,” he said.
“Silenced, not defeated,” he captioned the video.
In the comments section of Raghav’s post, Khushboo wrote, “Raghav ji, aap ek padhae likhae, suljahe neta hain. Hamare desh ko aap jaise neta ki bahut zarurat hain. Mujhe yakeen hain aane wale waqt mein aap apni ek party banaye. Hum sab aapke sath judna chahengae kyunki aap desh ke sath chalna chahate hain. Jai hind (You are a well-educated and noble leader. Our country needs a leader like you. I have full faith that in the near future you will make your own party. We all would want to join you because you want to work with the country).”
AAP has written to the Rajya Sabha secretariat proposing the appointment of MP Ashok Mittal as its deputy leader in the Upper House, replacing Chadha.
The move comes amid Chadha’s prolonged silence on party matters and his reported absence from several public events led by AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal.
When Kejriwal was arrested in connection with the excise policy case in March 2024, Chadha was abroad for medical reasons and remained away from active politics during the former Delhi chief minister’s nearly six-month incarceration.
During this period, other senior leaders, including Manish Sisodia and Sanjay Singh, were also in jail.
Earlier, Chadha had led a campaign against high food prices at airports, which resulted in the introduction of affordable options such as Rs 20 samosas and ₹10 tea under the ‘Udaan Yatri Cafes’ initiative at several Indian airports.
Even as AAP leaders explained the decision as part of an internal restructuring, the BJP alleged that the move was due to Chadha “distancing himself” from Kejriwal.
