BJP, AAP face off in Delhi Assembly as 'phansi-ghar' row flares up

New Delhi: The Delhi Assembly witnessed high drama on Wednesday as the BJP and AAP sparred over the so-called British-era "phansi ghar" (execution room) on its premises, leading to the marshalling out of Leader of Opposition Atishi and other MLAs of the opposition party amid noisy protests.

Speaker Vijender Gupta told the House that the structure, which was renovated and inaugurated in 2022 by then chief minister Arvind Kejriwal as a "phansi ghar", was actually a "tiffin room" as per records. Displaying a 1912 map of the assembly complex, he said there was no documentation or evidence indicating that the space was used for executions.

Chief Minister Rekha Gupta weighed in, accusing the previous AAP government of misleading the public.

"I do not agree with Minister Sirsa for calling Kejriwal a fool. He was brilliant; he knew how to play with people's sentiments. His large shirt, muffler, small car, pen worth two rupees, and even his cough, everything had a purpose. He believed he was the heir to Bhagat Singh's legacy," she said.

The chief minister said she had visited the so-called "phansi-ghar" and found the claims baseless.

"The space is so narrow that a person would cling to the pillar and refuse to be hanged. No evidence or document has been presented by the opposition to support their claim.

"I demand an inquiry and recovery of the Rs 1 crore spent on (renovating) this structure. This bundle of lies should be removed from the Assembly premises," she said.

Minister Kapil Mishra launched a scathing attack on the AAP, saying, "Demystifying the 'phansi-ghar' claim by the Speaker will restore the dignity of the Assembly."

"The AAP government shredded democratic traditions. They created a fake 'phansi-ghar' by putting shoes and clothes there, spending crores of rupees. They insulted our freedom fighters and tampered with history for petty gains." AAP MLA Sanjeev Jha defended the claim and said several such execution rooms built during the British era were never officially documented.

"This 'phansi ghar' was made by the Britishers. Many historians have noted that not all hangings were recorded. There are also varying views among historians about where Bhagat Singh threw the bomb — in this building or Parliament," he said.

Jha pointed out that, according to the 1912 map, the only double-storey structure on the premises was the one identified as the "phansi-ghar".

He urged the government to hand over the material and site to the Archaeological Survey of India for proper investigation. "Why are we asking the British Parliament for proof? Why would they document their atrocities?" Jha posed.

Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said the claim was "proof that Delhi was ruled by an uneducated chief minister".

"Nobody from the freedom movement era, including Babasaheb Ambedkar, objected to any such use of this site. The shaft in the room is just 2.5 feet wide, and the rope used was for a service lift — it couldn't have been used for hangings," he said.

Speaker Vijender Gupta said the House would take action on the matter on Thursday.