Prakash Raj trolls Raghav Chadha for leaving AAP to join BJP

New Delhi: Actor Prakash Raj has launched a scathing attack on Raghav Chadha over his decision to quit the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), intensifying the political fallout around a wave of defections.

Mocking Chadha’s justification that AAP had strayed from its founding ideals, Prakash Raj drew a sharp and controversial parallel, likening the move to a police officer abandoning duty to align with fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim. The remark underscored criticism that Chadha’s switch was driven less by principle and more by political convenience.

“I’m quitting the Police Force because they have moved away from their core values of fighting crime. So I’m joining Dawood Ibrahim- Raghav Chaddi,” Raj wrote.

Chadha, a Rajya Sabha MP and once a key face of AAP, has been at odds with the party leadership after being removed from a senior parliamentary role. He has portrayed his exit as a moral decision, arguing that the party he helped build has deviated from its core values and now prioritises internal interests over national concerns.

The crisis has deepened with several senior leaders following Chadha’s path, delivering a significant blow to AAP’s stability. The developments have also drawn support from veteran activist Anna Hazare, who has defended the defections as legitimate political choices while blaming AAP’s leadership for failing to retain its members. His remarks have further fuelled perceptions of his growing proximity to the BJP and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

Complicating matters, multiple defectors, including Swati Maliwal and Ashok Mittal, are facing investigations by central agencies. AAP has alleged that these actions are part of a broader BJP strategy to pressure opposition leaders into switching sides.

Despite last-minute outreach by party chief Arvind Kejriwal, dissenting MPs refused reconciliation, marking one of the most serious internal ruptures in AAP’s recent history.