Is Raghav Chadha willing to take on the fight that needs to be fought in the country today? That is the question. …He is not: Atishi
Express Interview: Former Delhi Chief Minister Atishi spoke about the steadily growing dissonance between the Aam Aadmi Party and Raghav Chadha, who has been removed as Deputy Leader of the party in Rajya Sabha.
You’ve asked why Raghav Chadha is afraid of the BJP. Are you saying that he is no longer willing to take on the BJP? Is that the core reason behind this falling out?
Yes, absolutely. That is how it has played out.
AAP leaders have accused Chadha of not following the party line in Parliament and refusing to join Opposition walkouts. Is this a case of indiscipline or ideological disagreement within the AAP?
This is something that had been building up for a while. But when someone within the party does not go by the party line, you give them the benefit of the doubt first. You give them more chances.
It’s not as though you would assume that there is something wrong, a conspiracy, in the first instance. This has been going on, if you see, from the time of the arrest of Arvind Kejriwal. His (Chadha’s) total absence since then. But the party has not broken the relationship with him. There was an off-and-on involvement.
If you notice, we never said anything against him. In no forum has anyone ever said anything against Raghav. But the fact is that all of this was building up. And recently several instances have happened… like the impeachment motion for example, and his refusal to sign.
Second is the issue of walkouts. Third, it (the dissonance with Chadha) happened over the issue of LPG [shortage]…
So in the recent past, these issues have happened. Which sort of made it clear that he was not willing to speak anything against the BJP… At the core of our party’s ideology is the fight for democracy. How can someone be the deputy leader [of the AAP] in the Upper House if they’re not willing to take on the BJP?
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BJP leaders are defending him and there is speculation that he may switch sides. Does Raghav Chadha still belong to AAP?
This is not a question of the Aam Aadmi Party, and not with the Aam Aadmi Party. Is Raghav willing to take on the fight that needs to be fought in the country today? That is the question. Which he’s not.
And it doesn’t matter whether he’s my friend or my colleague. That (the fight in the country) is the bigger issue at hand. And I think that he’s made his position clear. Maybe he doesn’t like the Aam Aadmi Party for X, Y, Z reasons. Why did he not sign the TMC impeachment motion? So it was not about the Aam Aadmi Party. Why did he not walk out when the opposition walked out? So that is not about the Aam Aadmi Party!
What has come across there seems to be some kind of a compromise with the BJP. Because if you see, it is not as though he is not speaking… He is speaking on issues. He is just not speaking on any issues against the BJP.
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You’ve questioned why he was in London for an eye surgery when Kejriwal was arrested, even suggesting that he may have been trying to avoid getting arrested.
I used it as an example of one of the early instances where all of us were on the streets fighting. We were at the barricades, we were getting detained by the police. The way we were pulled and dragged…
But he did not speak. He was not there. At that point of time, we were giving him the benefit of the doubt, when he told us that he was having an eye surgery, we believed him. Not only did we believe him, we all went on national television and defended him. But now with hindsight, one thinks, maybe all this started then.
As City Editor ( Delhi) at the Indian Express, Kaunain Sheriff leads city reporting with a sharp focus on accountability journalism, data-driven stories, and ground-level impact. As the National Health Editor he leads the newsroom’s in-depth coverage of pressing health issues.
He is the author of Johnson & Johnson Files: The Indian Secrets of a Global Giant, a definitive investigation into the accountability of one of the world’s most powerful pharmaceutical corporations.
Areas of Expertise
Investigative Reporting: Has deep expertise in investigative reporting spanning public health, regulatory affairs, drug safety, and the criminal justice system. His work sits at the intersection of governance, law, and accountability, with a particular focus on how regulatory failures, institutional lapses, and policy decisions affect citizens’ rights and safety.
Data Journalism: Has extensively on big data–driven investigations, including analyses of flagship government schemes and large datasets on criminal trials, uncovering systemic gaps.
Global Collaborations
Kaunain is a key contributor to major international journalistic projects:
The Implant Files: Collaborated with the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) to expose global malpractices in the medical device industry.
Chinese Big-Data Investigation: Uncovered how a foreign data firm monitored thousands of prominent Indian institutions and individuals in real-time.
Awards & Recognition
His commitment to "Journalism of Courage" has been recognized with the industry's highest honors:
Ramnath Goenka Award for Excellence in Journalism
SOPA Award (Society of Publishers in Asia)
Red Ink Award (Mumbai Press Club)
Indian Express Excellence Awards (Triple recipient for investigations into the NSA abuse in UP, Vyapam scam, and the anti-Sikh riots).
Education: Studied Mechanical Engineering at Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU), Bangalore, before moving to Delhi to pursue his passion for journalism. His engineering training informs his analytical approach, enabling him to decode technical, legal, and data-heavy systems with precision.
Social media
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/kaunain-sheriff-3a00ab99
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![How can someone be the deputy leader [of the AAP] in the Upper House if they’re not willing to take on the BJP?](https://images.indianexpress.com/2026/01/Atishi.jpg?w=1600)
