The Delhi High Court on Monday was informed that AAP leaders Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia have not appeared before the Delhi Assembly’s Committee of Privileges despite repeated summons issued over the ‘phansi ghar’ controversy. The Assembly Secretariat claimed that the two leaders have been “non-cooperative” with the panel even after approaching the court against the summons.
Senior advocate Jayant Mehta, representing the Assembly Secretariat, told Justice Sachin Datta that Kejriwal and Sisodia have not attended a single committee hearing and have sought to delay their appearance by citing their pending petition.
“There is constant non-cooperation on behalf of petitioners. They have not appeared before the Privileges Committee even once. This is their conduct,” Mehta submitted.
Justice Datta clarified that the High Court has not passed any interim order restraining the committee from proceeding. The matter has been posted for further arguments on December 12.
The controversy emerged after the BJP formed the government in Delhi in February this year. Speaker Vijender Gupta stated in the House that the British-era structure renovated and inaugurated as a “phansi ghar” (execution room) in 2022 by then chief minister Arvind Kejriwal was, according to archival records, actually a “tiffin room”.
Gupta alleged that “falsehood was spread” regarding the structure and referred the matter to the Committee of Privileges for examination.
The committee subsequently summoned Kejriwal, Sisodia, Ram Niwas Goel and Rakhi Birla to appear in person on November 13, and then again on November 20.
Kejriwal and Sisodia have approached the High Court seeking to quash the summons, arguing that the proceedings are not based on a complaint, report or motion of breach of privilege.
Their petition says the reference to the privileges committee appears to be for verifying “authenticity” of the ‘phansi ghar’ claim — a task beyond the jurisdiction of the Legislative Assembly and especially its privileges committee.
According to the plea, the proceedings “suffer from lack of jurisdiction, procedural illegalities, constitutional infirmities and colourable exercise of legislative power” and allegedly violate their rights under Articles 14, 19 and 21 of the Constitution.
The Assembly Secretariat, however, has called the petition “misconceived”, saying the summons were not for breach of privilege but only for assisting the committee in establishing factual authenticity of the installation.
The ‘phansi ghar’ was inaugurated inside the Assembly complex on August 22, 2022, in the presence of Kejriwal and Sisodia, who were then serving as chief minister and deputy chief minister. Deputy Speaker Rakhi Birla was the guest of honour, and Ram Niwas Goel presided over the event. AAP describes the structure as a symbolic memorial honouring freedom fighters.
However, Speaker Gupta later presented a 1912 map of the Assembly complex, asserting there was no evidence that the site was ever used as an execution room. The issue was then referred to the committee for inquiry and report.
