AAP MP Raghav Chadha made a strong intervention in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday, March 11, 2026, targeting the pricing strategies of Indian telecom companies. He described the current prepaid recharge cycles as a “loot” and a “scam” that disproportionately affects the common citizen.
The “13th Month” Math
Chadha criticized the industry-standard 28-day validity cycle, pointing out the mathematical trick that forces consumers to pay more annually.
- The Calculation: 28 days x 13 recharges = 364 days.
- The Argument: By using 28 days instead of a full calendar month (30 or 31 days), telecom companies effectively extract 13 payments in a 12-month year.
- Demand: He urged the government to mandate that recharge validity be aligned with actual calendar months.
Blocking Incoming Calls & OTPs
The MP also raised a critical safety and functional concern regarding the immediate suspension of services upon plan expiry.
- Arbitrary Blocking: He argued that while blocking outgoing calls is understandable, blocking incoming calls and SMS is arbitrary and dangerous.
- Emergency Risk: In modern India, mobile phones are a necessity. Chadha noted that once a plan expires, users stop receiving essential messages like OTPs or emergency calls, leaving them helpless in critical situations.
Today’s National Landscape (March 11, 2026)
Chadha’s speech was part of a high-decibel session in the Rajya Sabha, which also saw:
- EAM on West Asia: S. Jaishankar providing updates on the 67,000 Indians returned from the conflict zone.
- Supreme Court Landmark: The historic ruling allowing passive euthanasia for a patient in a vegetative state for 13 years.
- Entertainment Buzz: Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap dismissing his mention in the “Epstein Files” as an administrative error.