Centre provides Z security to Raghav Chadha after Punjab govt revokes his Z+ cover: Report

The decision was taken after an Intelligence Bureau threat assessment report advised upgrading his security cover.

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha has been granted Z category security cover by the central government, given the existing potential threat, as per the sources in the Ministry of Home Affairs, reported India Today. 

The security will be provided in both Delhi and Punjab, with paramilitary forces deployed for his protection.

According to sources quoted by India Today, the Delhi Police has been directed to provide immediate interim security cover to Raghav Chadha until a formal central security arrangement is put in place.

The decision was taken after an Intelligence Bureau threat assessment report advised upgrading his security cover.

The move came just hours after the AAP-led Punjab government withdrew Chadha’s previous Z+ security cover that had previously been provided by the state police. The decision is being viewed as important amid continuing tensions between Chadha and the AAP leadership.

Raghav Chadha, a senior AAP leader who was elected to the Rajya Sabha from Punjab, had been provided Z+ security by the state government.

However, sources said that this protection was withdrawn last week amid growing internal differences within the party. The Centre’s decision to extend Z category security to him soon after has attracted attention in political circles.

On April 2nd, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has chosen to replace high-profile MP Raghav Chadha as the Deputy Leader in the Upper House of Parliament. Chadha, who has been discharging his duties as deputy leader since 2023, will now be replaced by Punjab MP Ashok Mittal.

Chadha, once considered one of the closest aides to AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal, has remained absent during the party's latest festivities and protests.

The excise case verdict: In February 2026, when a court acquitted Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia, and other leaders in the Delhi Excise Policy case, Chadha chose to remain completely silent on social media.

The 37-year-old MP was also absent from a recent high-stakes press conference at the AAP headquarters and a 'Jan Sabha' at Jantar Mantar, where Kejriwal launched a direct offensive against the BJP. 

This episode is not the first time Chadha’s absence has sparked questions. In the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, his prolonged stay in the UK for eye surgery during Kejriwal’s arrest had sparked questions within AAP.