AAP's Raghav Chadha spends a day as Blinkit delivery partner amid gig workers' demands row | WATCH
AAP MP Raghav Chadha’s outreach comes at a time when gig workers across India are demanding changes to what they describe as punishing work conditions.
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Raghav Chadha on Monday spent an entire day as a delivery partner with quick-commerce platform Blinkit, offering a rare, ground-level glimpse into the daily realities of gig workers. The Rajya Sabha member said the exercise was aimed at understanding the pressures, risks and challenges faced by delivery agents issues he has repeatedly raised in Parliament and public forums. The video, posted on social media platform X, shows Chadha dressed in Blinkit’s signature yellow uniform, helmet on, riding pillion on a delivery agent’s motorcycle as they criss-cross the city fulfilling orders. The visuals mirror a routine workday, from navigating traffic to racing against delivery timelines. Sharing the clip, Chadha wrote, “Away from boardrooms, at the grassroots. I lived their day.”
Spotlight on ultra-fast delivery pressures
Chadha’s outreach comes at a time when gig workers across India are demanding changes to what they describe as punishing work conditions.
A key concern has been the rise of ultra-fast delivery models, such as 10-minute deliveries, which workers argue increase stress, accident risks and unrealistic performance expectations. By accompanying a delivery agent through multiple orders, Chadha sought to underline how speed-driven business models translate into pressure on the ground often at the cost of safety and dignity.
This is not the first time the AAP MP has highlighted the concerns of gig workers. In recent months, he has hosted a delivery agent for lunch, conducted detailed conversations with workers, and publicly flagged issues related to pay structures, safety, and lack of job security.
Earlier this month, Chadha also questioned the sustainability of quick-commerce and food delivery business models, remarking that if platforms require police support to function during worker unrest, it signals deeper systemic flaws. Chadha’s comments gained traction following remarks by Zomato and Blinkit founder Deepinder Goyal during recent delivery workers’ strikes.
Goyal had described striking workers as “miscreants,” while maintaining that delivery platforms had generated employment at scale.
Responding sharply on X, Chadha said, “Delivery partners across India went on strike demanding basic dignity, fair pay, safety, predictable rules and social security. The response from the Platform was to call them ‘miscreants’ and turn a labour demand into a law & order narrative. That is not just insulting, it is dangerous.”
He added, “Workers asking for fair pay are not criminals.”
After the strikes failed to significantly disrupt operations, Goyal posted on X that Zomato and Blinkit achieved record delivery numbers on New Year’s Eve, claiming operations were “unaffected by calls for strikes.” He also stated that “support from local law enforcement helped keep the small number of miscreants in check.”
Chadha countered by reiterating that the issue goes beyond individual strikes and speaks to the need for structural reform. He said he had already raised gig workers’ concerns during the winter session of Parliament and would continue to pursue the matter.
Doubling down on his stance, Chadha framed the issue as one of accountability and basic human dignity.
“This is a fight I will see through. In Parliament. Outside Parliament. Until there is accountability,” he said. “The workers who built these platforms order by order, kilometre by kilometre, deserve better than to be called ‘miscreants’ for asking to be treated as human beings.”