Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Raghav Chadha has been suspended from the Rajya Sabha on Friday following accusations of ‘forging’ the signatures of five Rajya Sabha MPs in a select committee motion. The suspension comes pending the report of the privileges committee, which will investigate the allegations of ‘gross violation of rules’ and ‘contemptuous conduct’, the news agency PTI reported.
The motion for Raghav Chadha’s suspension was raised by Leader of the House Piyush Goyal, who said that Chadha’s actions were ‘unethical’. The suspension will remain in effect until the committee of privileges completes its inquiry into the case.
The controversy erupted when five Rajya Sabha MPs – S Phangnon Konyak, Narhari Amin and Sudhanshu Trivedi of BJP, M Thambidurai of AIADMK, and Sasmit Patra of BJD – alleged that their names were included without their consent in a select committee motion moved by Raghav Chadha on August 7. The motion pertained to the consideration of the ‘Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, 2023’.
A Rajya Sabha bulletin on Wednesday said that Chairman Jagdeep Dhankar had received complaints from four MPs who alleged ‘breach of privilege’ by Raghav Chadha, including for adding their names to the committee without their explicit consent, violating the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business.
“All the six members are disturbed and hurt and looking to the chair for justice,” Goyal said, adding that the Union Government had a strong case to justify Chadha’s dismissal.
In response to the accusations, Raghav Chadha defended his actions, stating that an MP can propose names for committee formation without requiring written consent. Chadha had added the names of the four complaining MPs in the constitution of a Select Committee to consider the ‘Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, 2023’.
“Suppose I organise a birthday party and invite ten people. Eight of them come, and two don’t accept my invite. Instead, they charge me, ‘how dare you invite us to your birthday?’ This is what happened. I just invited them [MPs] to be part of the committee,” he said.
Piyush Goyal, while presenting the motion for suspension, criticised Chadha’s lack of remorse and his attempt to downplay the objections raised by fellow parliamentarians. Goyal highlighted Chadha’s comparison of the committee inclusion to a birthday party, asserting that such an analogy was inappropriate for a parliamentarian.
“Raghav Chadha also said his colleague Sanjay Singh was suspended because of asking questions knowing fully well that Sanjay Singh was suspended because of unruly behaviour,” he added.
Meanwhile, the suspension against AAP MP Sanjay Singh was extended till the privilege committee takes a decision on the complaints against him.
“Sanjay Singh showed defiance and did not leave the chamber, and as a result if the house could not function… He did not show any remorse, instead he kept justifying his behaviour,” Goyal further said.
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