Amid the row over alleged forged signatures of 5 MPs in a proposal for a Select Committee on the Delhi Services Bill, the Aam Aadmi Party on Wednesday said Raghav Chadha, its member in the Rajya Sabha, will respond ‘effectively and comprehensively’ to a notice from the Privilege Committee, should be receive one in light of the incident.
The ruling party in the national capital clarified that the MP had yet to receive any notice from the Privilege Committee yet.
Meanwhile, according to sources, the Privilege Committee of Rajya Sabha met on Wednesday in Parliament and decided to seek a reply from Chadha over allegations of breach of privilege by Rajya Sabha members Dr Sasmit Patra, S Phangnon Konyak, Dr M Thambidurai and Narhari Amin.
Chadha mooted the propoal for the constitution of a Select Committee to consider the ‘Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, 2023’.
The five MPs alleged that the AAP leader added their names to the proposed panel without holding any prior consultation with them or taking their consent.
Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar on Wednesday referred the complaints of the MPs to the Privileges Committee to examine and investigate the allegations raised by them.
The chairman had received complaints of breach of privilege by Chadha “for inter-alia including the names of the MPs without their consent, in violation of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business, in a motion on August 7”.
“On consideration of the facts, the Hon’ble Chairman, Rajya Sabha has referred the matter under Rule 203 of Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Council of States (Rajya Sabha) to the Committee of Privileges for examination, investigation and report,” a Rajya Sabha bulletin read.
Chaddha had proposed a Select Committee of the House to examine the Delhi Services Bill.
Earlier, addressing the Rajya Sabha during a discussion on the Delhi Services Bill on Monday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said, “Two members (BJD MP Sasmit Patra and BJP MP Dr Sudhanshu Trivedi) are saying that they did not sign the motion (to be part of select committee) moved by AAP MP Raghav Chadha. Now it is a matter of investigation how the motion was signed.”
Chadha said that he will reply to the Privileges Committee once they send him a notice.
After eight hours of discussion and debate, the Bill to replace the Centre’s Ordinance for control of services in the national capital was passed by the Upper House after a division in which 131 MPs voted in favour of the legislation and 102 against it.
The National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, 2023 was passed by the Lok Sabha last week.