New Delhi, March 27 The Delhi Assembly on Friday issued a warning to AAP leaders, including former chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, regarding the 'Phansi-ghar' (execution chamber) issue, based on a report from its Privileges Committee.
Speaker Vijender Gupta spoke about the "manufactured narrative" of a 'Phansi-ghar' within the assembly premises, stating that associating the famed building with an execution chamber is a disservice to its true history.
"The House is deliberating on this matter with absolute justice. The contempt has been proven. While no court in India can grant relief in matters of legislative privilege, we are proceeding based on the dignity of this institution," a statement said.
A Privileges Committee report, which was tabled in the assembly on March 23, was discussed in the House. Following the discussion, the House addressed a motion proposed by BJP MLA Jintendra Mahajan.
Mahajan recommended issuing a warning to Kejriwal and other AAP leaders for showing contempt by failing to appear before the committee. The motion was seconded by ruling party MLA Raj Kumar Bhatia, and the House ultimately passed it via a voice vote.
The 'Phansi-ghar' was inaugurated in the assembly by Kejriwal, in the presence of then deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia, speaker Ram Niwas Goel and deputy speaker Rakhi Birla, on August 9, 2022.
The Speaker criticised the neglect of Delhi's rural martyrs while "fake stories" of execution rooms were being circulated.
After the BJP took power in Delhi in February of the previous year, the issue was raised in the assembly, with Speaker Gupta labelling it a "tiffin room" rather than a gallows where freedom fighters were hanged.
"A third report from the committee will specifically address the lies spread regarding the Phansi-ghar. The assembly secretariat and the Committee of Privileges would ensure that the sanctity of the House is never compromised by misinformation or the defiance of officials," the statement added.
While the House possesses the supreme authority to award stringent punishment, including imprisonment, it has chosen to exercise judicial restraint by issuing this formal warning to uphold the dignity of the legislature, it said further.
The matter was then referred to the Privileges Committee for examination. The panel summoned Kejriwal and other AAP leaders for an explanation, but they initially failed to appear. Kejriwal and other AAP leaders, including Goel and Birla, eventually appeared before the committee earlier this month.
Speaker Gupta noted that the rules allow the committee to recommend a jail term for contempt, but it acted appropriately by limiting the punishment to just a warning.