Arvind Kejriwal to appear before Delhi Assembly panel on March 6 over 'Phansi Ghar' row

New Delhi, Mar 3 (PTI) Former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday wrote to the Delhi Assembly's Privileges Committee confirming his appearance before the panel on March 6 on the 'Phansi Ghar' issue and demanding the live-streaming of proceedings.

The Committee is examining the matter related to a renovated section in the Delhi Assembly that was inaugurated under the AAP dispensation as a British-era Phansi Ghar (execution chamber), while the BJP claims it was a tiffin room.

The panel had scheduled an appearance of Kejriwal and other AAP members in the matter. In his letter to the chairperson of the committee, Kejriwal informed that he will attend the panel hearing on March 6 in compliance with its summons.

"Delhi is grappling with pollution, the roads are broken, there are piles of garbage everywhere, and hospitals are out of medicines. The Delhi Assembly has summoned me to question me about the "Phansi Ghar," Kejriwal said in a post on X in Hindi.

"My appearance is without prejudice to my legal and constitutional rights, remedies, objections and contentions, all of which are expressly reserved," he added in his letter.

"In the interest of transparency and public accountability, I request that the proceedings of the Committee in the present matter be live-streamed," Kejriwal said in his letter.

Last month, the committee scheduled the final in-person appearance of Kejriwal, former deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia, ex-speaker Ram Niwas Goel and former deputy speaker Rakhi Birla for March 6, along with the submission of their statements.

Earlier, on January 6, the Privileges Committee had recommended that the House take appropriate action against the four AAP leaders for not appearing before it the matter.

The matter was originally raised by Speaker Vijender Gupta, concerning the authenticity of the 'Phansi Ghar', which was inaugurated on 9 August 2022 on the Delhi Assembly premises by the then AAP dispensation.

During the winter session of the Delhi Assembly, PWD Minister Parvesh Sahib Singh had said that approximately Rs 1.4 crore was spent on the "non-existent Phansi Ghar" during 2022-23, as the Assembly issued fresh summons to former chief minister Kejriwal and others in the matter. PTI SSM RT