Delhi: In what may as well be the script of a historical documentary on an OTT platform – or more likely political satire – the Delhi Assembly on Tuesday found itself wrapped in an unusually spirited debate: was a section of its century-old building once a gallows chamber for hanging freedom fighters, or simply a rope-operated lift room meant to deliver tiffin boxes?
The bizarre discussion unfolded on Tuesday as members across party lines offered clashing versions of history, invoked AI tools like ChatGPTfor validation, and accused each other of rewriting the colonial past – all while a British parliamentary delegation led by House of Commons deputy speaker Nusrat Ghani watched on from the visitors’ gallery.
Speaker Vijender Gupta set the tone early in the day by questioning the historical accuracy of the “fansi ghar” (gallows room) that was inaugurated with much fanfare by former chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and then speaker Ram Niwas Goel three years ago. The space was unveiled on August 9, 2022, to commemorate 75 years of Indian Independence and was dedicated to “unknown martyrs who were hanged here”, according to the plaque installed there.
“There is no history of any such space. There was never an execution room here,” Speaker Gupta told the House. “We went through national archives, consulted experts, and what has been presented as gallows is actually a lift room. A rope-operated lift used to bring up tiffin boxes for members. There are two such lift shafts in the building – one on each side.”
He added, “It is being shown to foreign delegates as a gallows room. One must wonder – is this a fansi ghar or a lunchbox delivery system?”
The section in question was revamped in 2022 into a memorial space spread across two floors. It features murals of Bhagat Singh, Rajguru, and Sukhdev, a symbolic hanging rope, red-brick-style heritage walls, and glass partitions. There is a plaque crediting then CM Kejriwal and speaker Goel, and a memorial board that claims: “Innumerable unknown freedom fighters have been hanged here.”
The upper floor shows a pulley mechanism, and the ground floor has a wooden platform beneath the shaft, further fuelling the symbolic interpretation.
‘Lift not a noose’
But the BJP, which controls the Assembly, said fiction was dressed up as patriotism. The party’s chief whip Abhay Kumar Verma said, “In the 2020-25 assembly period, the former speaker said that they found gallows. He also said that there was a tunnel which went from assembly to Red Fort… but maps from 1911 show that this was simply a tiffin room. It used a rope and pulley to deliver food. No hangings happened here. A similar structure exists symmetrically on the other side of the building.”
He said that other parts of the Assembly also had clearly defined uses on record – the current speaker’s office was once a library, and the deputy speaker’s room was earlier marked as the Viceroy’s room. “They even had a smoking room. Every part is documented. This so-called gallows was never meant for executions. It was just a tiffin room.”
PWD minister Parvesh Verma went one step further, saying: “Without any inquiry, they named it phansi ghar. They found some ropes and old shoes – which probably belonged to construction workers. They misled the public. We will now portray the site as it truly was.”
Later in the day, Verma visited the site and said the materials placed there would be removed and corrected to reflect the accurate historical context.
ChatGPT weighs in : In yet another twist, ChatGPT also entered the debate.
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Jarnail Singh said the AI tool “confirmed” the AAP’s version. “In front of the British delegation, the black deeds and crimes of colonial rules are being whitewashed. I asked ChatGPT if there was an execution room in the complex. It clearly says that one room used a gallows room,” Singh said.
BJP’s Karnail Singh responded with deadpan sarcasm, “Even ChatGPT is developed by the West. Of course, it will say that.”
Verma then said he asked ChatGPT a different question: “who first claimed there was a fansi ghar”; and said the chatbot pointed to former Speaker Goel.
Speaker Gupta interjected, clarifying that “ChatGPT is not a reliable source — it collects data already on the internet, including false claims. That’s not evidence.”
The speaker also dismissed previous claims of a tunnel connecting the Assembly to the Red Fort, saying that such features were probably underground ventilation ducts, common in colonial-era architecture.
Then, BJP MLA Kulwant Rana gave it a paranormal twist. “If so many hangings happened here, there must be ghosts too! They’ve turned this place into a bhoot ghar (house of ghosts),” he said to laughter in the House.
AAP responds cautiously: AAP MLAs, on the backfoot, pushed for due process. MLA Virender Kadian said, “There must have been some documents or justification behind this decision. If there has been a mistake, we can rectify it. But don’t target individuals without evidence. The former speaker isn’t even here to defend himself.”
Leader of the opposition and former Delhi CM Atishi responded by stating that “Delhi has a large number of problems but such matters were being discussed.”
In a statement, Atishi said: “What is the point of discussion in the Assembly today? Running a session of the Delhi Assembly costs lakhs of rupees every hour. This is the hard-earned money of Delhi’s people—of taxpayers—money we earn through our labour and give to the government. And yet, you won’t allow a discussion on jhuggis, on schools, on the shortage of medicines in hospitals, or the worsening law and order situation. Instead, the only thing BJP wants to talk about is ‘hanging room’? Is that what this Assembly has been reduced to? They just want to waste the House’s precious time.”
Speaker Gupta clarified that his remarks were aimed at correcting public misinformation, not individuals: “We respect the former speaker. This was a government decision. CM Kejriwal inaugurated it. But it’s time to review the facts. I direct AAP MLAs to present their documents tomorrow.”
The Delhi Assembly building, constructed in 1912, originally hosted the Imperial Legislative Council. The Rowlatt Act of 1919 – a law that allowed detention without trial – was passed here. Leaders like Motilal Nehru, Lala Lajpat Rai, Gopal Krishna Gokhale, and Madan Mohan Malaviya debated in its chambers. Mahatma Gandhi visited twice to observe sessions. It remained a key legislative venue until the Parliament House was inaugurated in 1927.
The disputed room lies in the heart of this historic structure — a building that has seen laws written, freedoms debated, and now, debates over tiffin boxes and nooses.
