The political landscape of Delhi witnessed fresh legal drama as Aam Aadmi Party leaders Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia approached the Delhi High Court on Monday, challenging the summons issued by the BJP-led Delhi Assembly's Privileges Committee concerning the controversial inauguration of a structure claimed to be a 'faansi ghar' or execution chamber.
Legal Challenge Against Privileges Committee
Filed on November 8, the petition specifically questions the jurisdiction of the Committee of Privileges and alleges non-compliance with procedural safeguards. The court has listed the matter for hearing before Justice Sachin Datta on Tuesday.
The AAP leaders are seeking multiple reliefs from the court, including directions to produce all records related to the case and an order restraining the committee from proceeding further with the notices and summons issued against them.
Background of the Controversy
The controversy dates back to 2022 when Arvind Kejriwal, then Chief Minister of Delhi, inaugurated a structure on the Assembly premises and publicly declared it to be a "British-era execution chamber." However, the narrative took a dramatic turn in August this year when BJP MLA and Speaker Vijender Gupta informed the House that according to official records, the structure was actually a "tiffin room."
The Privileges Committee initially issued a notice to Kejriwal and Sisodia on September 9, seeking their explanation regarding the matter. The leaders responded to this notice, but the committee subsequently issued summons on November 4, directing them to appear before it to verify the "authenticity of faansi ghar."
Allegations of Political Vendetta
In their petition, Kejriwal and Sisodia have strongly contended that the entire proceeding is politically motivated. They emphasized that the proceedings were initiated more than three years after the actual incident and "only after a regime change," which they claim strongly indicates that the privilege mechanism is being misused for political vendetta rather than for its constitutional purpose.
The petition further argues that there is no act of defiance or obstruction to legislative business and that the event in question was part of the Speaker's administrative prerogative during the previous Vidhan Sabha session. They submitted that there is no allegation of contempt, obstruction, or breach of privilege, and therefore the proceedings lack the jurisdictional facts necessary to assume authority.
Historians have added another dimension to the controversy by stating that it is "unlikely" that the two rooms renovated in 2022 in the Assembly building actually served as an execution chamber during the British era.
The timing of the legal battle is crucial as the Privileges Committee is scheduled to meet at 3 pm on Thursday to deliberate on the matter regarding the 'faansi ghar'. The outcome of Tuesday's High Court hearing is likely to determine whether the committee proceedings will continue as planned.
