The post showed Chadha seated in a garden, reading The 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene. In the caption, he wrote, “Somebody gifted me a book this week. Funny how timing works.” (Photo Credit: Raghav Chadha/Instagram)
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Raghav Chadha on Monday shared a cryptic post on Instagram, amid an ongoing row with his party colleagues over criticism for his role in Parliament. Tensions between Chadha and the party leadership came to a head when he was stripped of his role as AAP’s deputy leader in the Rajya Sabha, and replaced with Ashok Mittal.
While Chadha did not directly reference the controversy in his latest post, the choice of book and the highlighted passage have drawn attention, linking it to the ongoing political developments. The post adds to a series of recent public messages from the MP, which have included both direct rebuttals and more subtle, symbolic remarks.
The post showed Chadha seated in a garden, reading The 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene. In the caption, he wrote, “Somebody gifted me a book this week. Funny how timing works.” A second slide carried a similar line, stating, “The timing is hard to ignore.” In a third slide, Chadha highlighted the opening chapter of the book, titled “Law 1: Never Outshine the Master”, which advises against overshadowing those in positions of authority.
The excerpt suggests that making superiors feel secure can help individuals rise in influence. “Always make those above you feel comfortably superior. In your desire to please and impress them, do not go too far in displaying your talents or you might accomplish the opposite inspire fear and insecurity. Make your masters appear more brilliant than they are and you will attain the heights of power”, the excerpt read.
(Photo Credit: Raghav Chadha/Instagram)
AAP insiders had earlier told the Indian Express that Chadha had been unavailable “at crucial junctures” in the party’s view, including during the AAP’s show of strength after Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia were released from jail in the excise policy case in late February. Chadha, they said, had “gradually grown more distant” from the AAP and its senior leadership.
Chadha’s post comes amid an ongoing public rift within AAP, where Chadha has faced criticism from party leaders, in Delhi and Punjab, over allegedly not adequately questioning the Centre and failing to raise the state’s issues in Parliament. Those questioning the AAP leader include former Delhi Chief Minister Atishi, Delhi AAP president Saurabh Bharadwaj, and Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema.
In response, he had shared a video compilation of his speeches, asserting that he had consistently spoken on Punjab-related concerns, dismissing the charges as “lies”. Chadha also said that Punjab is not just a political issue for him but “my home, my duty, my soil, my soul.”
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The AAP has not officially responded to the Instagram post.
