Raghav Chadha’s Suspension: A Game Of Words Reflected In X Bio
New Delhi, 12th August 2023: Raghav Chadha, a member of the Rajya Sabha from the Aam Aadmi Party, took an unconventional step by revising his bio on the platform formerly known as Twitter, now referred to as X, to read as ‘Suspended Member of Parliament’. This move came shortly after Chadha’s suspension from the Upper House, a consequence of his alleged “gross violation of rules, misconduct, defiant attitude, and contemptuous conduct”. This suspension is pending further investigation and a report from the committee of privileges.
The suspension of Chadha occurred following a motion presented by Piyush Goyal, the Leader of the House, on Friday. Goyal’s motion was driven by his concern over Chadha’s inclusion of certain Rajya Sabha members’ names, without their consent, in a proposed select committee related to the Delhi Services Bill.
In response, Chadha released a statement on Friday night asserting, “My suspension is a clear message from the BJP to today’s youth: If you dare to ask questions, we will suppress your voice.” He claimed that his suspension was a consequence of his rigorous questioning, which left the BJP, known as the world’s largest political party, unable to respond during his speech on the Delhi Service Bill in Parliament.
Chadha characterized his “crime” as revealing the BJP’s inconsistent stance on Delhi’s statehood and urging them to follow the principles of ‘Advani-vad’ and ‘Vajpayee-vad’. He remarked, “The mere fact that a 34-year-old MP held up a mirror to them and held them accountable has clearly unsettled them.” He further suggested that the BJP’s orchestration of Rahul Gandhi’s suspension from Parliament demonstrated their ability to employ similar tactics to suspend and potentially expel any AAP MP.
Chadha’s suspension marked the second instance of an MP being suspended from the Upper House during the Monsoon session of the Parliament, which spanned from July 20 to August 11. Prior to this, on July 24, another prominent AAP leader, Sanjay Singh, faced suspension. The House subsequently voted to uphold Singh’s suspension on Friday, pending the outcomes of the privileges committee’s report.
