Z Security, ED raids: AAP’s face-off with Raghav Chadha turns ugly; BJP moves on

New Delhi: A rift between the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and its members of the Lok Sabha Raghav Chadha Senior leaders have publicly accused him of betrayal and linked the recent Enforcement Directorate (ED) action against party MP Ashok Mittal to internal influence. The escalation comes amid reports that Chadha has been granted Z-category security status by the Centre, triggering strong reactions from AAP leaders suspected of political collusion.

‘bjp people come out to defend Raghav‘: Bharadwaj targets Chadha

AAP MLA Saurabh Bharadwaj launched a direct attack on Chadha and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), alleging a pattern of coordination involving central agencies, political appointments and security cover.In a post on X, Bharadwaj said: “The toolbox of the BJP government is so predictable. Raghav Chadha was threatened by ED and out of fear or greed he decided to backstab his party who made him an MP or whatever he is today. When Raghav was condemned on social media, BJP figures came to Raghav’s defence. In the Dy Leader position, AAP replaced Raghav with Ashok Mittal. Now, instead of going after Raghav, ED went after Ashok Mittal and raided his home and business. Center provides Z+ security to Raghav Chadha. All of these appear to be interconnected. So the BJP government got so desperate that they raided MP Ashok Mittal for Raghav Chadha. According to sources, Raghav Chadha was the mastermind behind ED’s raid on AAP MP Ashok Mittal. “The comments reflected growing distrust within the AAP, with Chadha’s recent ouster as deputy leader of the House of Representatives triggering a wider political and organizational crisis.

ED raid on Ashok Mittal sparks political storm

ED conducts searches at premises related to AAP Rajya Sabha MP Ashok Kumar Mittal punjab province and Haryana under the Foreign Exchange Management Act. Officials said around 10 locations in Jalandhar and Gurgaon were covered, including sites related to Lovely Professional University and related educational institutions.Mittal replaced Chadha as deputy leader of the Upper House and is also the chancellor of Phagwala University. AAP leaders termed the action as politically motivated, especially in the context of the upcoming Punjab Assembly elections.There was no immediate response from the BJP to the AAP leader’s allegations.

Kejriwal accuses BJP of using agencies ahead of polls

AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal accused the Center of launching a political crackdown ahead of the elections.He said in a post onPunjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann also condemned the attack, echoing concerns that central agencies were being used as part of an electoral strategy.AAP leader Anurag Dhanda questioned whether the BJP can contest elections without relying on agencies like ED and CBI, while senior leader Manish Sisodia alleged that there is a pattern of political mobilization followed by execution operations.

Sanjay Singh attacks center, calls attack ‘example of same game’

AAP MP Sanjay Singh intensified the attack, accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of abusing institutions to secure an electoral advantage.“Wherever elections are held, the BJP will use its own institutions. Prime Minister Modi’s support has declined across the country. Now his only option is to abuse the Education Ministry, CBI and the Election Commission to win elections. This model of the BJP will not work in Punjab. The sudden massive attack on Ashok Mittal is an example of the same game. We all stand firmly together and I will try to raise this issue in meetings as well. These people will play a lot of such games before the Punjab elections,” he said.Punjab Minister Balbir Singh also criticized the BJP, accusing it of abusing institutions and saying the move was politically motivated.

BJP hits back, calls AAP a ‘party of thieves’

Reacting to the allegations, Union Minister Ravneet Singh Bittu hit back at the AAP, accusing it of corruption.“Bhagwant Mann, your party is a party of thieves and gangsters. People of Punjab are filing cases against state ministers and investigative agencies are nabbing some corrupt MPs. Modi’s policy is clean India; under this policy, the filth will definitely be cleaned up,” he said.The heated exchange highlighted the intensification of political fighting ahead of elections in Punjab, with both sides leveling accusations of corruption and abuse of power.

What triggered the conflict between AAP and Raghav Chadha

The current crisis dates back to Chadha’s ouster as deputy leader of the House of Representatives, a move seen as a major setback for one of the AAP’s well-known national faces. Chadha was once considered a close aide to Kejriwal and a key strategist in the party’s bid to win Punjab in 2022, but he has found himself at odds with the leadership in recent months.AAP leaders accused him of straying from the party line, engaging in what they called “soft PR” and failing to aggressively target the centrists in Parliament. They also point to his absence at key political moments such as protests and leadership crises.Chadha, however, denied the allegations, calling them baseless and politically motivated. He said in a video message that his silence should not be mistaken for weakness and asked the party to provide evidence for its claims.The fallout has now evolved from internal divisions into a full-blown public confrontation, with leaders openly questioning Chadha’s loyalty and intentions. Bharadwaj’s comments linking him to the Education Ministry’s actions further heightened tensions, one of the party’s most scathing attacks on its own MPs.These developments come at a critical time for AAP, especially in Punjab, where the party is in power and faces upcoming electoral challenges. The combination of internal dissent, actions by central agencies and political attacks by rivals has created an unstable environment for the party.