Raghav Chadha

You think you’re drinking Fruit Juice? THINK AGAIN. Big food brands are selling sugar water with shiny ‘fresh fruit’ pictures on the front. And hiding the truth in tiny fine print at the back of packet which reads ‘Pictures for marketing purposes only’. SERIOUSLY? Today in Parliament, I called this out. Because these misleading branding and false advertisement are pushing millions, especially kids, into diabetes and lifestyle diseases. Time to expose the truth behind your juice box.

Telecom Companies ऐसे Recharge Plans offer करती हैं जिनमें ‘Daily Data Limits’ जैसे 1.5GB, 2GB या 3GB per day होती हैं, जो हर 24 hours में reset हो जाती हैं। बचा हुआ data midnight पर expire हो जाता है, जबकि उसके पूरे पैसे पहले ही दिए जा चुके होते हैं। आपको 2GB के लिए charge किया जाता है। आप 1.5GB use करते हैं। बचा हुआ 0.5GB दिन खत्म होते ही गायब हो जाता है। कोई refund नहीं। कोई rollover नहीं। मैंने आज यह मुद्दा Parliament में उठाया की जिस data के लिए हमने पूरी payment की है, वो दिन समाप्त होने पर Expire नहीं होना चाहिए। बचा हुआ data अगले दिन की data limit में carry forward होना चाहिए, ताकि users Data इस्तेमाल कर सकें जिसके लिए उन्होंने पहले ही pay किया है। संसद में आज मेरी demands हैं - 1.सभी users के लिए Data carry-forward / Data rollover की सुविधा दी जाए। जो data दिन के अंत तक use नहीं होता, उसे अगले दिन की limit में add किया जाए, न कि validity खत्म होते ही ख़त्म कर दिया जाए। 2.अगले महीने के recharge amount में unused data का adjustment का option दिया जाए। अगर कोई user लगातार अपना data under-utilise करता है, तो अगले monthly recharge में उस value का adjustment या discount मिलना चाहिए। users को बार-बार उस लिमिट के लिए pay नहीं करना चाहिए जो वे use ही नहीं करते। 3.Unused data को relatives और friends को transfer करने का option दिया जाए। Unused data को user की digital property माना जाना चाहिए। उपभोक्ता को अपने daily data limit से unused data दूसरों को transfer करने की permission होनी चाहिए, बिल्कुल उसी तरह जैसे पैसे transfer किए जा सकते हैं। आज मोबाइल डेटा कोई luxury नहीं, Digital oxygen बन चुका है। टेलीकॉम कंपनियों की ये लूट बंद होनी चाहिए।

Telecom companies offer Recharge Plans with ‘𝐃𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐲 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐚 𝐋𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐬’ like 1.5GB, 2GB or 3GB per day, resetting every 24 hours. Any Unused Data EXPIRES at midnight, despite being fully paid for. 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝟐𝐆𝐁. 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝟏.𝟓𝐆𝐁. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝟎.𝟓𝐆𝐁 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐬 𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬. No refund. No rollover. Just gone. This is not an accident. This is policy. Use it unnecessarily, or lose it by midnight. That’s how mobile data works today. I raised this issue in Parliament - 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐚 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐛𝐞 𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐅𝐄𝐈𝐓𝐄𝐃? UNUSED DATA should carry forward into the next cycle, so consumers can use what they have already paid for. My demands are clear: 𝟏. 𝐀𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐚 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐲-𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝/ 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐚 𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐬 All telecom operators should provide Rollover of Unused Data. What remains unused at the end of the day, should be added to the next day’s Daily Data Limit, not erased the moment validity ends. 𝟐. 𝐆𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐨𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐀𝐝𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐔𝐧𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐚 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭 𝐧𝐞𝐱𝐭 𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐡’𝐬 𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐞 𝐀𝐦𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐬 If a consumer consistently under-utilises their data over multiple cycles, there should be a mechanism for Adjustment or Discount of that value, from the following month’s Recharge Amount. Consumers should not repeatedly pay for capacity they do not use. 𝟑. 𝐀𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐟𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐔𝐧𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐚 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬 & 𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬 Unused data should be treated as the consumer’s digital property. Users should be allowed to transfer their unused data to others, from their Daily Data Limit, just as transfer money to others. As we build a Digital India, access cannot depend on data that disappears. If you’ve paid for it, it should carry forward and remain yours to use.

#WATCH | AAP Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha says," Today, during Zero Hour in Parliament, I raised an issue relating to the carrying forward of unused mobile data. Mobile data rollover should be allowed for users. Mobile data transfer should also be allowed between users."

How many of you have heard the terms “sarpanch pati” or “panchayat pati” ? In many places, a Panchayat seat reserved for women ends up being contested by the wife, daughter, sister or daughter in law of a male politician , while real authority continues to be exercised by him. This is why these terms have become so common. The 73rd Constitutional Amendment mandated 33% reservation for women in Panchayati Raj institutions so that women’s voices are part of local governance. Out of roughly 31 lakh elected Panchayat representatives, about one third are women. But when an elected woman representative is only the face while authority is exercised by a male relative, it creates a parallel unelected authority. A form of proxy governance the Constitution never intended. This is exactly why I raised the issue through a supplementary question in Parliament last week. Does the government acknowledge that this practice exists? And what steps are being taken to ensure that women elected to Panchayats exercise real authority, not merely hold the seat in name?

This might just become the most unexpected incentive for marriage 😃 In Parliament, I proposed Joint Filing of Income Tax Returns for married couples.

₹19,000 crore. That is what Banks collected in last 3 years just for not maintaining ‘Minimum Account Balance.’ Not from the rich. Not from big borrowers. From the poorest accounts in the system. Their crime? They didn’t have enough money. A farmer misses the minimum balance - Penalty. A pensioner withdraws money for medicine - Penalty. A daily wage worker falls short by a few hundred rupees - Penalty. The poor keep money in banks for safety. Not to be quietly fined for being poor. Financial inclusion should protect small savings, not punish small balances. In Parliament today I proposed ending minimum balance penalties so the banking system stops charging people for their poverty.

In Parliament today I proposed optional Joint filing of Income Tax Returns for married couples. Family A Both spouses earn ₹10 lakh each. Total household income is ₹20 lakh. Tax: zero Family B One spouse earns ₹20 lakh. The other stays home to raise their child. Total household income is ₹20 lakh. Tax: ₹1.92 lakh The only difference is how the salary is split between the two spouses. One roof. One kitchen. One household budget. But when tax time comes, the family disappears. The tax system sees two individuals. A husband and wife become strangers. No clubbing of income or rebates. In Parliament today I proposed optional joint filing of Income Tax Returns for married couples, so families with uneven incomes are not unfairly penalised. If implemented, then Family A and Family B both will pay Zero Tax.

The couple tax issue raised by @raghav_chadha in Rajya sabha - would be a help to double income families

When a soldier guards our borders, he does not calculate his sacrifice in tax slabs. He spends Diwali in a bunker. Eid on the border. Misses family milestones. And sometimes he loses a part of his body in service of the nation. That disability pension is not income. It is compensation for a wound carried for life. Yet under the Budget 2026 provisions, whether that pension is taxed or not depends on when the soldier retired. Not on the injury he suffered or the sacrifice he made. Two soldiers. One wound. Two tax rules. Soldier A gets injured and leaves the Army — his disability pension is tax-free. Soldier B gets injured but continues serving the nation — his disability pension will be taxed Same injury. Same sacrifice. But the one who served longer is punished more. A soldier doesn’t calculate sacrifice in tax slabs. You can tax income. You cannot tax sacrifice.

Today in Parliament, I delivered a speech titled ’I Do Not Oppose, I Rise to Propose.’ In Parliament today I spoke about three everyday anxieties of ordinary Indians and proposed practical reforms. (1) Allow optional Joint Filing of Income Tax Returns so married couples with uneven incomes are not penalised.* (2) Restore Full Income Tax Exemption on Disability Pensions for all wounded soldiers, not only those invalided out of service.* (3) End penalty charges on bank accounts for not maintaining Minimum Account Balance. I rose to propose solutions that make the system fairer, more humane and more just.

When a girl misses school because there is no pad, no water, no bin and no privacy, that is not her personal problem. That is a failure of our system. That is a failure of our society. Menstrual health is not a favour. It is not charity. And it is certainly not a side issue. It is a matter of health, education, equality and dignity. Women do not need sympathy. Women need rights. Please watch my full parliamentary intervention on.. youtube.com/watch?v=o8bFYr…