Centre provides security to Raghav Chadha after Punjab withdraws cover: Sources

New Delhi: The Ministry of Home Affairs has provided security cover to Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Rajya Sabha member Raghav Chadha. He will receive ‘Z+ category’ security in both Delhi and Punjab, sources said on Wednesday.

This followed the Punjab government’s decision to withdraw Chadha’s security detail earlier in the day. This action also occurred amid a growing rift between Chadha and the AAP in recent weeks.

According to sources, paramilitary forces will be deployed to provide security to the AAP leader.

This security cover has been granted based on a threat perception report submitted by the Intelligence Bureau (IB) and following an assessment conducted by the Ministry of Home Affairs.

The developments follow recent changes within the party. On April 2, AAP appointed Ashok Mittal as its new Deputy Leader in the Rajya Sabha, replacing Chadha in the role. The move was seen as a significant organisational shift, bringing in a new face from Punjab.

Earlier on April 3, Chadha broke his silence on the development, stating that he had been “silenced, not defeated”.

Meanwhile, speculation is mounting about Chadha’s position within AAP. On April 8, a separate Instagram post shared by him drew attention after it featured a purported supporter suggesting that he should form a new youth-led political party instead of joining any existing organisation.

On April 10, amid an internal rift within the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), the Rajya Sabha member shared a message on Instagram asserting that his parliamentary work would speak for itself.

Taking to the social media platform Instagram, Chadha posted a video and wrote, “With respect to those questioning my parliamentary performance, I’ll let my work do the talking.”

The video featured a compilation of his interventions and questions raised in the Rajya Sabha, highlighting a wide range of public policy issues he has addressed.

IANS