The Supreme Court on Friday asked AAP leader Raghav Chadha to offer an unconditional apology to Rajya Sabha chairperson Jagdeep Dhankhar in view of his indefinite suspension from the Upper House of Parliament.
Heading a bench also comprising Justice J B Pardiwala and Justice Manoj Misra, Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud expressed hope that the Rajya Sabha chairperson would take a “sympathetic” view of the matter.
“It has been submitted that Raghav Chadha is the youngest member of the august House. Bearing in mind that he had no intention to attack the dignity of the House, it is assured that he shall meet the chairperson and tender an unconditional apology which shall be considered sympathetically in the background of facts and circumstances of the House,” the court said.
The bench directed the AAP leader to apologise after it recorded a statement by his lawyer that Chadha has no intention to affect the dignity of the House of which he is a member and he will seek an appointment with Dhankhar so that he may offer an unconditional apology.
The bench also asked Attorney General R Venkataramani and Solicitor General Tushar Mehta to apprise it of the developments in the matter after the Diwali vacation.
Chadha was suspended for not taking the consent of five Rajya Sabha members before proposing their names for a select committee that was to examine the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, 2023 relating to transfer and posting of officers posted in Delhi.
Earlier this week, the top court expressed concern over the indefinite suspension of people’s representatives, its impact on the right of the people to be represented and described the exclusion of a member of the political opposition from the House as a “serious matter”.
“Such kind of indefinite suspension will have ramifications on the people whose constituency is going unrepresented. Where is the power of the privilege committee to indefinitely suspend the member,” the court had observed.
The court had also questioned whether a member could be suspended from the House for an indefinite period when the privileges committee is seized of the matter. Chadha was suspended after the adoption of a resolution that was moved in Rajya Sabha for his indefinite suspension.
The AAP leader had moved the top court challenging the development.
Chadha was suspended from the Upper House on August 11 for “breach of privilege” during the Monsoon Session after complaints by some members. Chadha has called the suspension “patently illegal and without authority of law”.