Delhi Assembly Secretariat writes to Kejriwal over Privileges Committee report on 'Phansighar' issue

New Delhi, Jan 27 (PTI) Delhi Assembly Secretariat on Tuesday wrote to former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and ex-Speaker Ram Niwas Goel, regarding the findings of the Privileges Committee in connection with the "Phansighar" issue.

The Privileges Committee report said that Kejriwal, Goel, former deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia and ex-deputy speaker Rakhi Birla committed contempt of the House due to their "deliberate non-appearance" before it in connection with the "Phansighar" issue.

A room of the British-era Delhi Assembly building was inaugurated as "Phansighar" (execution room) by then chief minister Kejriwal on August 9, 2022. The issue was raised in the Assembly after the BJP came to power last year.

Speaker Vijender Gupta claimed that the so-called "Phansighar" was actually a "tiffin room" used for the purposes of distributing meals, and substantiated it through a 2011 map of the architectural design of the Assembly building.

The BJP has demanded an apology from Kejriwal, alleging the previous AAP regime in Delhi misled the people through a "false" claim.

The issue was referred to the Privileges Committee, which presented its report in the Assembly on January 6.

The House also approved a motion directing Kejriwal and other AAP leaders to appear before the Committee and explain their absence from the sittings held on November 13 and November 20 last year, and to provide any information or documents regarding the claim of "Phansighar" in the Assembly premises.

The House has also authorised Speaker Gupta to take necessary action to ensure the appearance of the AAP leaders before the Privileges Committee. PTI VIT BAL HIG