New Delhi, April 3 – Delhi Lieutenant Governor T.S. Sandhu met Aam Aadmi Party's new Deputy Leader in the Rajya Sabha, Ashok Mittal, at Lok Niwas, an official said on Friday.
"Prominent entrepreneur, Hon'ble MP & Dy Leader - AAP in Rajya Sabha @DrAshokKMittal, called on Hon'ble @LtGovDelhi, Sardar @SandhuTaranjitS, at Lok Niwas," said a post on social media.
Sixty-one-year-old Mittal, a businessman-turned-politician and chancellor of a private university, is also a member of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance.
The meeting between the Punjab MP and Sandhu at Lok Niwas came against the backdrop of a heated controversy over his sudden appointment as the AAP Deputy Leader in the Rajya Sabha, replacing AAP MP Raghav Chadha.
The rift within the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) came to the fore on Friday, with Chadha, the party's 'sacked' Deputy Leader in the Rajya Sabha, and party leaders, including Delhi unit President Saurabh Bharadwaj, engaging in a heated exchange.
Shortly after Chadha issued a video statement on Friday morning, claiming that he was being silenced for raising people's voice, several AAP leaders hit back at him, accusing him of bowing down to the Centre and colluding with those in power.
Bharadwaj highlighted several issues where Chadha, the AAP MP from Punjab, was found wanting and failing to hold the government accountable, arguing that politics demands integrity and courage.
Mittal, who completed four years in the Upper House, issued a statement on social media on March 30 to mark the occasion.
"During my four-year tenure in the Rajya Sabha, there have been many significant moments – some challenging, some historic, and some deeply personal. But throughout this entire journey, the greatest strength has been my fellow parliamentarians – who have not just been colleagues, but a true support system, standing by me. Whenever the paths seemed difficult, the people standing alongside gave encouragement, guidance, and the strength to move forward," wrote Mittal.