New Delhi: A day after the Delhi Assembly’s privileges committee issued fresh notices to former chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and three other Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders to appear before it, the panel has rejected Kejriwal’s request to defer its proceedings “owing to an ongoing court case”.
Kejriwal, along with senior AAP leaders Manish Sisodia, Ram Niwas Goel and Rakhi Birla, had been summoned to appear before the committee on November 13, but none of them turned up. The committee, therefore, gave them an opportunity to appear on November 20.
On Friday, however, Kejriwal’s counsel sent a detailed representation to the assembly, seeking postponement of the hearing on the grounds that AAP’schallenge to the summons was currently before the Delhi High Court.
In his letter, Kejriwal argued that the committee “lacks jurisdiction” and a writ petition challenging both the notice and the summons is already pending before the court . He added that the matter had been heard earlier, and the court has fixed November 24 for further proceedings.
Citing Rule 220(3) of the assembly, which allows parties to inform the committee of their inability to attend, Kejriwal urged the panel to defer its sitting until the high court clarifies the legal issues involved.
However, a communication issued by the Legislative Assembly Secretariat on Friday stated that the committee was not inclined to halt its work.
The assembly said: “As no intimation had been received from you (Kejriwal) till the conclusion of the sitting of the committee, the committee decided that one more opportunity be given to you to depose before it… As the hon’ble high court has not passed any directions in contrary, the sitting scheduled for November 20 shall proceed as scheduled.”
The privileges committee is probing the ‘Phansi Ghar’ (gallows chamber) controversy between the previous AAP and current Delhi governments. The ‘Phansi Ghar’ that was publicly showcased by the previous government as a historical execution chamber inside the assembly complex in 2022 became a political flashpoint after Speaker Vijender Singh earlier this year showed maps and shared other details claiming that it was a lift chamber used for transporting tiffins and not an execution room.
