SC takes note of decision to end suspension of AAP MP Raghav Chadha from RS, closes plea

The Supreme Court on Monday took note of the “supervening” development about revocation of the indefinite suspension of AAP MP Raghav Chadha from the Rajya Sabha on December 4 and disposed of his plea contesting it.

The Rajya Sabha had on December 4 adopted by a voice vote the motion moved by BJP member GVL Narasimha Rao to end the suspension of Chadha, a member of the upper house from Punjab.

The MP was held guilty by the Privileges Committee of presenting “misleading” facts to the media, and was allowed to attend the House proceedings after his suspension was withdrawn.

As soon as a three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud took up Chadha’s plea, his counsel Shadan Farasat submitted that his suspension stands revoked.

“In view of the supervening development, the petition has become infructuous. The petition is disposed of,” the bench, also comprising Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, said.

The lawyer thanked the bench for its intervention in the matter.

Earlier, the top court had on December 1 deferred the hearing on Chadha’s petition, after Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Rajya Sabha Secretariat, said “something constructive” was likely to happen soon. The law officer had told the bench it may not need to hear the plea any further.

On November 3, the top court had told Chadha to tender an unconditional apology to Rajya Sabha Chairperson Jagdeep Dhankhar over the select committee row and said the latter may consider it “sympathetically”.

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It had taken note of Farasat’s submission that the first-time Rajya Sabha member, the youngest lawmaker in the ‘House of Elders’, was willing to apologise to Dhankhar.

Chadha was under suspension since August 11 after some MPs, a majority of them from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), accused him of adding their names to a motion without their consent. The motion sought constitution of a select committee to examine the contentious Delhi Services Bill.

Taking note of the complaint, the Rajya Sabha chairman had suspended the AAP leader, pending an inquiry by the Committee of Privileges.