Delhi services bill: AAP says BJP accusing Chadha of forgery 'attempt to take away' his Parliament membership

File Photo/PTI

The Aam Aadmi Party on Tuesday defended its MP Raghav Chadha after the BJP accused him of forging the signatures of five MPs in a motion related to the Delhi services bill in the Rajya Sabha, alleging that it is an "attempt to disqualify" him as a member of Parliament.

Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Singh claimed that any MP can propose names for a select committee and that "signatures are not required" for it.

"Any MP can propose names for select committee without their signature. The Bharatiya Janata Party is spreading lies and rumours," he alleged.

AAP national spokesperson Saurabh Bharadwaj alleged that the BJP is "cooking up a false case" against Chadha.

"Those (MPs) who said that Raghav Chadha forged their signatures, they lied because there was no signature. Breach of privilege motion action can be taken against them. Just like they (Centre) disqualified Rahul Gandhi by creating a false case, BJP wants to do the same with Raghav too. These people are very powerful and can do anything. But we are not afraid of them," Bharadwaj claimed.

A select committee was proposed by Chadha in the Upper House on Monday to examine the Delhi services bill.

Senior AAP leader Atishi also claimed that the BJP accusing Chadha of forgery is "an attempt to take away his Parliament membership".

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"It is BJP's attempt to take away the Parliament membership of Raghav Chadha through backdoor, just like Rahul Gandhi's membership was revoked," she alleged.

Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh on Monday announced a probe into the complaints of at least four MPs that their names were included in a proposed select committee of the House for the Delhi services bill without their consent.

The select committee was proposed by AAP member Chadha in the Upper House to examine the Delhi services bill.

AAP spokesperson Priyanka Kakkar said, "Raghav Chadha proposed the names of 19 MPs (for the select committee), of which five members refused. They made it a big issue out of it because they got scared of his speech."

After the deputy chairman read out the names to be included in the proposed select committee, Home Minister Amit Shah informed that five members have complained that their names were included without their signatures in the proposal moved by the AAP leader.

He demanded that this issue be investigated. Terming it a breach of privilege of the House, Shah said the matter should be referred to the privileges committee.

Then three members, including Sasmit Patra of the BJD, M Thambidurai of the AIADMK and S Phangnon Konyak of the BJP stood up and informed the House that their consent was not taken for the inclusion of their names in the proposed select committee.

To this, the deputy chairman said the complaints of the MPs will be probed. He, however, did not indicate the agency for the probe and the timeframe for completing it.

Parliament on Monday passed the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, 2023, that gives the central government control over bureaucrats in the Delhi government.

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