Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Raghav Chadha has been suspended from the Rajya Sabha till the Privileges Committee submits its results. Chadha is accused of forging the signatures of five MPs on a resolution related to the Delhi Services Bill.
Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar said, “… I am suspending Raghav Chadha from the service of the council until the report of the privilege committee of the council is available. “
Four Rajya Sabha MPs — BJP’s S Fanganan Konyak and Narhari Amin, AIADMK’s M Thambidurai and BJD’s Sasamit Patra — said the stay was issued after their names were included in a committee transferred to the upper house by AAP MPs.
Chadha’s motion for suspension was moved by Piyush Goyal who said the AAP leader’s behaviour was unethical and unreasonable like that of an MP.
In a media address on Thursday, Chadha said that the allegations are baseless and that an MP can propose the name of any MP for a select committee without their written consent. He said he would approach the Privileges Committee and law courts against the BJP members who had accused him of fraud. He shows the rule book to defend his position.
Chadha also asked how the question of forgery arises when no signatures have been taken and submitted. “I challenge the BJP to show that the documents contain fake signatures alleged by them. There is no mention of fake, forged signatures in the parliamentary bulletin of complaints against me,” Chadha said.
He said the BJP had turned against him as he exposed the party’s double standards and demanded justice for the people of Delhi.
Chadha proposed the formation of a select committee to consider the Government of Delhi’s National Capital Territory (Amendment) Bill, 2023. He said the Modi government has started a tradition of suspending members who speak against it.
The AAP MP lashed out at Home Minister Amit Shah, who, he added, wanted to disqualify Chadha as was done in the case of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in the Lok Sabha.
