New Delhi:

AAP Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha on Friday hit back at Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman over her remarks in Parliament regarding his understanding of taxation, calling her response a “personal attack” and urged her to avoid such remarks.

“FM said in the House that I tried to mislead the House. I was denied permission to respond to her remarks in Parliament. I have raised many issues in my address on this year’s Union Budget, but she chose to respond only to one of my remarks where I explained the tax rebate with an example. I stand by my statement,” Chadha said in a video message posted on X.

“Isn’t it true that if a person earns Rs 12.76 lakh per annum, they have to pay tax on the entire Rs 12.76 lakh and not just on Rs 76,000? Instead of addressing the core issue, she attacked me on a personal level. I have full respect for her age and position, and I hope she will be more careful with such personal remarks,” he added reiterated his point.

The AAP MP accused Nirmala Sitharaman of attempting to “confuse” the taxpayers with technicalities.

“FM tried to hoodwink the middle class with complex explanations. The fact remains – if income exceeds Rs 12 lakh, tax is levied on the whole amount, not just the incremental portion. Rs 12 lakh is a tax rebate threshold, not a tax exemption. If someone earns Rs 12.76 lakh annually, they will be taxed on the full amount, not just the Rs 76,000 exceeding Rs 12 lakh,” he argued.

Raghav Chadha’s remarks come after Nirmala Sitharaman during her budget response in the Rajya Sabha earlier on Thursday countered the AAP MP’s criticism, accusing him of misrepresenting the taxation structure.

She clarified that marginal relief significantly reduces the tax burden for those earning slightly above Rs 12 lakh.

“Raghav Chadha shouldn’t mislead the House by claiming that a person earning beyond Rs 12 lakh will be taxed on the entire amount without relief. That is not the case,” Nirmala Sitharaman asserted.

The minister further explained marginal relief provisions and cited examples to demonstrate how taxpayers benefit under the existing framework.

Hitting out at the AAP MP, Nirmala Sitharaman questioned Raghav Chadha’s credibility being a chartered accountant.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

Aam Aadmi Party MP Raghav Chadha on Tuesday criticised the government for neglecting the middle class in its budget, which he claims benefits the wealthy dcuring a debate on the Union Budget in Parliament.

In his speech during the budget session, MP Raghav Chadha said, “The poor receive subsidies and schemes, the rich have their debts forgiven, but the middle class gets nothing. The government thinks the middle class has no dreams or aspirations. It is regarded as a hen that lays golden eggs, which are repeatedly squeezed.”

According to a release, Mr Chadha noted that reports indicate a decline in the spending capacity and consumption of the middle class. He stated, “There is no doubt that a taxable income of 12 lakh rupees results in zero tax. But this exemption is not that straightforward. If you earn even slightly above 12 lakh–for instance, 12.10 lakh rupees–you have to pay tax as per the designated slab.”

MP Raghav Chadha highlighted that out of India’s 1.4-billion population, only 6.68 per cent benefit from these tax exemptions. While 80 million Indians file income tax returns, 49 million report zero income and only 31 million actually pay taxes. This statistic, he argued, shows that the true tax burden falls on the middle class, as per the release.

He rejected the Finance Minister’s notion that such tax exemptions would boost consumption, adding, “Consumption will not increase until GST rates are reduced. GST is paid by everyone–not just by income taxpayers. When the common man pays tax on milk, vegetables, and medicines, his pocket grows lighter.”

MP Raghav Chadha then contrasted the government’s policies for different classes. “The government offers subsidies and schemes for the poor and forgives the debts of the rich–but the middle class gets nothing. There are no subsidies, no tax relief, nor does any scheme benefit them. The middle class is like a hen that lays golden eggs, yet the government does not keep it happy.”

He observed that the middle class is the largest taxpayer yet receives the least benefits. Salaries do not rise, savings remain minimal, and inflation continually increases. For instance, when food inflation exceeds 8%, salary increments are less than 3 per cent, the release stated

MP Chadha reiterated that although the middle class is the largest contributor in taxes, it reaps the smallest rewards. “The middle class is forced to pay tax on everything–books, stationery, medicines, sweets, clothes, housing; every hard-earned rupee is taxed. Their aspirations are crushed under the weight of these taxes. Income remains stagnant while expenses continuously rise. From children’s education to healthcare, the middle class is in a constant struggle.”

He further explained that many middle-class families become trapped in long-term debt. “Even after a lifetime of work, the middle class has to sink into 20-25 years of debt to buy a 2BHK house. Salaries come on the 7th, yet landlords demand rent on the 1st. Loans are taken for higher education, and in emergencies, even gold has to be mortgaged. This situation is only getting worse.”

He cited the slow growth of FMCG companies like Nestle India as an example, arguing that the middle class is no longer spending as it once did and said , “The demand for affordable goods has fallen, and people are now reluctant to spend.”

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Raghav Chadha appealed to the government stop the arbitrary pricing of air fares, a day after an uproar over flights to Prayagraj costing Rs 50,000 to Rs 60,000.

Mr Chadha accused airlines of taking advantage of Mahakumbh devotees by charging exorbitant flight fares to Prayagraj, where the Maha Kumbh festival is underway. While calling the service of devotees “the biggest religion”, the leader said in a video on social media called for their fair treatment. He urged the government to intervene and cap flight prices, making travel affordable for devotees.

“Mahakumbh is the largest spiritual and faith event for Sanatan Dharma. After 144 years, this grand Mahakumbh is being celebrated in Prayagraj, attracting millions of devotees from around the world who wish to take a holy dip and engage in ‘sadhana’ and ‘tapasya.’ However, it is disheartening to see some airlines exploiting this occasion by significantly hiking flight fares. While the usual flight ticket to Prayagraj costs around Rs 5,000 to Rs 8,000, devotees are now facing charges of Rs 50,000 to Rs 60,000. This profiteering has left many devotees disheartened,” he stated.

The prices of Air-Tickets to Prayagraj have soared to unusually high levels compared to ordinary days. On behalf of all the devotees who wish to undertake the pilgrimage to the Maha Kumbh, I urge the Union Government to intervene and stop airlines from charging exorbitant fees,… pic.twitter.com/x9A9zH8CcX

— Raghav Chadha (@raghav_chadha) January 28, 2025

Meanwhile, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has directed airlines to increase capacity and rationalise fares for flights to Prayagraj during the ongoing Mahakumbh on Monday.

To address the issue, the DGCA met with airlines on January 23, urging them to add more flights and rationalise fares. As a result, 81 additional flights have been approved for January, bringing the total number of flights to Prayagraj to 132 from across India.

“In view of likely surge in demand, DGCA met airlines on January 23 and urged them to increase further capacity by adding flights and rationalising fares,” DGCA said.

On January 24, SpiceJet announced the addition of special flights to Prayagraj for the Maha Kumbh by introducing new direct flights from Guwahati, Chennai, and Hyderabad.

On January 25, Akasa Air, ramped up its connectivity to Prayagraj with special flights from Pune, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad and Bengaluru via Delhi, in addition to its daily direct services from Mumbai.

Mr Chadha’s appeals comes a day after the civil aviation ministry on Monday said steps are being taken to rationalise airfares for flights to Prayagraj and the number of flights has been increased to cater to the rising traffic demand in view of the Maha Kumbh.

Currently, there are 132 flights operating with approximately 80,000 monthly seats to Prayagraj from various Indian cities. Prayagraj is connected directly with 17 cities as against eight cities in December 2024. Further, the ministry said the addition of these flights is expected to ease the pressure on airfares and improve overall accessibility for devotees and tourists.

Akasa Air will start flights on January 28 and 29 to Prayagraj from Ahmedabad. In February, the airline plans to operate 9 flights from Ahmedabad and 12 flights from Bengaluru to Prayagraj, adding around 4,000 seats. SpiceJet will commence launch flights to Prayagraj from Delhi, Chennai, Guwahati, Bengaluru, Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Jaipur and Hyderabad. This will add about 43,000 seats in February, as per the release.

Since the beginning of Maha Kumbh on January 13, the Prayagraj airport witnessed 30,172 passengers and operated 226 flights in just one week, surpassing 5,000 passengers in a single day for the first time. The Maha Kumbh will conclude on February 26.

Chadha had earlier raised the issue of overpriced food at airports, prompting the Centre to open affordable UDAN Yatri Cafes.

New Delhi:

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Raghav Chadha said his efforts have led to lowering of food and water prices at airports after the government launched affordable Udaan Yatri Cafe. Mr Chadha had in parliament raised the issue of overpriced food and beverages at airports, prompting the government to launch the Udaan Yatri Cafe, Mr Chadha said in a statement.

The first Udaan Yatri Cafe has been launched at Kolkata airport, offering water, tea, and snacks at reasonable prices.

Mr Chadha reminded the government of its promise to make air travel affordable, highlighting that rising costs have made it challenging for the common people to fly.

“Glad to see the change brewing! After I highlighted the issue of food affordability at airports during this Winter Session of Parliament, tea prices at Kolkata Airport have been reduced. This is a win for us citizens, and I take pride in being the catalyst for this change. Hope more airports will follow this example and price food items more reasonably. Which issues should I raise in the next session?” the AAP MP said in a post on X.

Glad to see the change brewing! After I highlighted the issue of food affordability at airports during this Winter Session of Parliament, tea prices at Kolkata Airport have been reduced. This is a win for us citizens, and I take pride in being the catalyst for this change. Hope… https://t.co/8k7RnKBvzUpic.twitter.com/hi3iMng46J

— Raghav Chadha (@raghav_chadha) December 22, 2024

The Civil Aviation Ministry announced the launch of ‘Udaan Yatri Cafe’ at Kolkata’s Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport as a pilot project. If successful, it will be extended to other airports managed by the Airports Authority of India (AAI).

In his parliamentary speech, Mr Chadha highlighted the plight of passengers forced to pay inflated prices for food and beverages at airports.

“A water bottle costs Rs 100, and tea is priced at Rs 200-250. Can’t the government establish affordable canteens at airports?” he said.

He also criticised the poor management of airports, which he likened to bus stands due to long queues, overcrowding, and disorganisation.

Mr Chadha’s speech received widespread praise on social media, with many hailing it as a voice for the common man, the AAP said.

Konchok Stanzin, a counselor from Ladakh’s Chushul, supported Mr Chadha’s statement, pointing out challenges faced by Ladakhis due to expensive air travel, especially during winter when they are cut off from the rest of the country.

While discussing the Indian Aviation Bill 2024, Mr Chadha said, “The government promised that people in slippers would fly, but now even those wearing Bata shoes can’t afford air travel.”

He noted a sharp rise in airfares over the past year, burdening the common people. For instance, Delhi-Mumbai and Delhi-Patna routes now cost Rs 10,000 to Rs 14,500.

New Delhi:

AAP MP Raghav Chadha on Wednesday appealed to the Union government to bestow Bharat Ratna award for freedom fighter Bhagat Singh.

“I request the government that it announces Bharat Ratna for Bhagat Singh. If it happens the coming generations of this country would hail this House (Rajya Sabha),” he added.

Former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda asked the government to look into the drinking water shortage in Bengaluru.

Making a special mention in the Rajya Sabha, the JD(S) leader noted that due to the water shortage, people were forced to buy water from private operators in Bengaluru.

“With folded hands, I would like to appeal to the Union government to solve this problem,” the former prime minister said.

He noted that private operators were charging exorbitantly for the water supply in the city.

BJD member Sasmit Patra sought special category status for Orissa.

He noted that the state has suffered due to various natural disasters which have led to massive economic loss for the state. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

With his party winning three of the four Assembly seats in Punjab where bypolls were held, 
senior Aam Aadmi Party leader Raghav Chadha has said the results are a stamp of approval for the Bhagwant Mann government in the state under the leadership of party chief Arvind Kejriwal. 

Speaking to news agency ANI on Saturday, Mr Chadha pointed out that these three seats had never been won by the AAP before and also reflected on the results in Maharashtra – where the INDIA bloc was routed – and Jharkhand – which it retained – saying that it was a case of ‘kahin khushi, kahin gham‘ (happiness in one place, sadness in the other). 

“The results of the Punjab bypolls are very encouraging and I congratulate the workers of the AAP. The work of Bhagwan Mann’s government under the leadership of Arvind Kejriwal has been given a stamp of approval by the people. The three seats – Chabbewal, Gidderbaha and Dera Baba Nanak – that we have won today are constituencies where the AAP has never won,” he said in Hindi.

“When the Punjab Assembly elections were held in 2022, there was a tsunami in favour of Aam Aadmi Party, but we still could not win these seats. This shows that people have been influenced by the work done by our government in the past two-and-a-half years,” he added.

The Rajya Sabha MP said that even in the fourth seat of Barnala, the AAP had lost by a slim margin. 

Responding to a question on the Maharashtra and Jharkhand results, Mr Chadha said, “It is a case of ‘kahin khushi, kahin gham‘ for the INDIA alliance. The bloc lost in Maharashtra and the Eknath Shinde government and the coalition got an important victory. In Jharkhand, a negative type of politics, vendetta politics, has been rejected by the people, who have given a big mandate to Hemant Soren and the INDIA alliance. I believe that, with the Jharkhand victory, the negative kind of politics will weaken or end and the politics of governance development will get an impetus.”

The MP also said that a discussion will be held on the Maharashtra results after they have been analysed.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

Shankaracharya Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati Maharaj, also known as Jagadguru, visited AAP MP Raghav Chadha and actor Parineeti Chopra’s residence in Delhi.

Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati is the 46th Shankaracharya of the Jyotish Peeth in Uttarakhand. The Shankaracharya usually does not visit anyone at their homes.

The Shankaracharya, who was accompanied by other seers, was welcomed by Ms Chopra and Mr Chadha at their home. 

Mr Chadha welcomed the Shankaracharya at their residence. He touched his feet and Ms Chopra and other family members performed an aarti to welcome him. The couple tied the knot last year at the Leela Palace Hotel in Udaipur, Rajasthan, which was attended by close friends and family, and several well-known faces from the entertainment industry and politics.

They also performed a puja at their residence and sought blessings. The couple also interacted with Shankaracharya Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati.

The title “Shankaracharya” is held by the heads of four cardinal monasteries established by the 8th-century Hindu philosopher Adi Shankara. These monasteries are located in Odisha, Uttarakhand, Karnataka and Gujarat.

New Delhi:

Senior Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Raghav Chadha today reacted to his party boss Arvind Kejriwal announcing to quit as Delhi Chief Minister and said he has decided to give “agnipariksha” (trial by fire). Mr Kejriwal today announced to resign after two days and vowed not to sit in CM’s chair till people give him a “certificate of honesty”. His remarks came two days after he was released on bail from Tihar in the Delhi liquor policy corruption case.

“Today he (Mr Kejriwal) decided to give agnipariksha. People of Delhi will prove him honest by voting for the AAP,” Mr Chadha told reporters. 

Invoking actor Bollywood Amitabh Bachchan’s gesture in the film “Deewar”, he said the people of Delhi will write on their hands that “Mr Kejriwal is innocent”.

Arvind Kejriwal announced his shock resignation from the top post at a party meeting this afternoon.

“Two days later, I will resign as Chief Minister. I will not sit on that chair till the people announce their verdict. Elections in Delhi are months away. I got justice from the legal court, now I will get justice from the people’s court. I will sit on the Chief Minister’s chair only after the order of the people,” he said. 

“I want to ask the people of Delhi, is Kejriwal innocent or guilty? If I have worked, vote for me,” Mr Kejriwal said, adding that a meeting of AAP MLAs will be held within the next two days to choose the new Chief Minister for the national capital.

He also demanded that the Assembly elections in the national capital, scheduled for early next year, be held in November along with the polls in Maharashtra.

New Delhi:

Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha has hit back at the argument given by Additional Solicitor General S V Raju, appearing for the central agency CBI, during the court hearing on Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s plea challenging his arrest in the alleged excise policy scam. Questioning Mr Kejriwal’s petition, Mr Raju said in the Supreme Court if the top Court grants bail to AAP chief, it will demoralise the Delhi High Court. Countering his argument, Raghav Chadha said if the Sun rises from the east, it will be demoralise the West.

If Sun rises from the East, it will demoralise the West. https://t.co/2rIaXAKE57

— Raghav Chadha (@raghav_chadha) September 5, 2024

The top court on Thursday reserved its order on Mr Kejriwal’s separate pleas seeking bail and challenging his arrest by the CBI in the alleged excise policy scam. He has filed two separate petitions challenging the denial of bail and against his arrest by the CBI in the the corruption case filed by the central agency.

Questioning the maintainability of Mr Kejriwal’s pleas, Additional Solicitor General S V Raju said that the AAP chief went to the Delhi High Court without going to the sessions court. He also said that even in the money laundering case in which Arvind Kejriwal had challenged his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), he was sent back by the Supreme court to the trial court.

“He approached the High court without going to the sessions court. This is my preliminary objection. On merits, trial court could have seen it first. The high court was made to see merits and it can only be in exceptional cases. In ordinary cases, sessions court has to be approached first.

“He seems to be an extraordinary person who requires different approach. When all other Aam Aaadmis (common people) go to the trial court for bail, there cannot be a special treatment for anyone,” Mr Raju told a bench of Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan, reported news agency PTI.

If Supreme Court grants bail to Arvind Kejriwal, it will demoralise the Delhi High Court, Mr Raju said. “Don’t say that. Whatever order we pass, we will ensure nothing like that happens,” the bench assured Mr Raju.

The top court has earlier granted interim bail to the Mr Kejriwal in the Enforcement Directorate (ED) case against him, but he remains in jail in the CBI case. This means that if the Supreme Court gives him the relief, the Delhi Chief Minister will walk out of prison after over five months.

ALSO READ | “Insurance Arrest By CBI”, Arvind Kejriwal Argues For Bail In Supreme Court

“Insurance Arrest By CBI”

Arvind Kejriwal told the court that the central agency did an “insurance arrest” after they realised that he could get bail in the ED case.

Arguing for AAP supremo, Senior Advocate Abhishek Singhvi said this is an unprecedented matter. The Delhi Chief Minister, he said, has got relief twice under the stringent Prevention of Money Laundering Act. The CBI, he said, had done as “insurance arrest”.

The CBI, he said, had arrested Mr Kejriwal after two years. “Three court orders are in my favour. This is an insurance arrest, so that he can be kept in jail,” Mr Singhvi said.

Seeking bail for the embattled AAP national convener, Mr Singhvi said every possible co-accused in the case has been released on bail, including Manish Sisodia, K Kavitha and Vijay Nayar.

Mr Raju replied that the co-accused who got bail from the top court had approached the trial court first which Kejriwal did not do.

Manish Sisodia, a former deputy chief minister who held the excise portfolio when the alleged scam took place, was granted bail on August 9 by the top court which also extended the same relief to K Kavitha on August 27.

ALSO READ | Supreme Court Reserves Order On Arvind Kejriwal’s Bail Request

New Delhi:

Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha today urged the Centre to initiate talks with Pakistan to establish a safe corridor to Shri Nankana Sahib, the birthplace of Shri Guru Nanak Dev.

In his address during the Zero Hour in the Rajya Sabha, the AAP leader drew parallels with the successful Sri Kartarpur Sahib corridor, which has united people in faith, and hoped that a similar corridor to Shri Nankana Sahib would foster shared spiritual connections.

Mr Chadha suggested a safe road passage be created from Amritsar (Attari Wagah Border) to Shri Nankana Sahib in Pakistan.

This will provide a secure and convenient route for devotees to travel to the sacred site, he said. 

Today in Parliament, I voiced the heartfelt plea of all Punjabis and followers of Guru Nanak Dev Ji to establish a , his sacred birthplace; in order to enable ‘khulle darshan’ by the Sangat. Sri Nankana Sahib ji is… pic.twitter.com/aN1ZQKkKQD

— Raghav Chadha (@raghav_chadha) August 7, 2024

He also requested that devotees not be required to carry passports, visas, or fill out forms to visit Shri Nankana Sahib, and that no fees be charged for this sacred pilgrimage. This will ensure the corridor is accessible to all who wish to pay their respects to Shri Guru Nanak Dev, he said.

This appeal comes as Mr Chadha continues to advocate for progressive changes.

Recently, he pushed to reduce the minimum age for contesting elections in India from 25 to 21 years.

In his address to the Parliament, he stated that India was a young country with an average age of 29 years, where 65 per cent of the population was below 35 years and over 50 per cent was under 25 years.  

Mr Chadha pointed out that only 12 per cent of MPs in the last Lok Sabha were under 40 years, compared to 29 per cent in the first Lok Sabha.

He stressed that India needed to transition from being a “young country with old politicians” to a “young country with young politicians.”

The Rajya Sabha member also noted that politics was often viewed as an undesirable profession in India, with parents encouraging their children to pursue careers in fields like medicine, engineering and science instead.