New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Tuesday said the plea of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia, challenging the summons issued by the privilege committee of the Delhi Assembly over the ‘phansi ghar (execution room)’ issue, is “not maintainable”.
Justice Sachin Datta made the oral observation and listed it for further proceedings on Wednesday at the request of the counsel representing the office of the Assembly, as he was engaged in another court.
The Delhi Assembly had summoned AAP leaders, Mr. Kejriwal, Mr. Sisodia, Ram Niwas Goel and Rakhi Birla, directing them to appear in person on November 13 before the committee investigating the previous AAP government’s claims regarding phansi ghar.
Mr. Kejriwal and Mr. Sisodia have approached the High Court to challenge the summons, stating that the notice indicates the proceedings are not based on any complaint, report, or motion regarding breach of privilege or contempt.
The ‘phansi ghar’ was inaugurated on August 22, 2022, in the presence of Mr. Kejriwal, then Chief Minister, and Mr. Sisodia, then Deputy CM, in the Assembly premises. It was unveiled as a symbolic memorial relating to the freedom struggle and the sacrifices made by freedom fighters, and it was a matter of public knowledge.
The AAP leaders’ plea also stated that more than three years after the inauguration of the ‘phansi ghar’ and several months after the dissolution of the Seventh Assembly, the issue of the structure’s authenticity was raised for the first time in Delhi’s Eighth Legislative Assembly.
Displaying a 1912 map of the Assembly complex, Speaker Vijender Gupta, on August 7, said no evidence indicates the space was used for execution and stated that it was actually a “tiffin room”.
