After being acquitted by a Delhi court in the excise policy case, former chief minister Arvind Kejriwal is now set to appear before the Privileges Committee of the Delhi Legislative Assembly in the 'Phansi Ghar' case. In a letter to the committee, Kejriwal said that he will appear at 3 pm on Friday.
The Assembly committee has issued notices in the 'Phansi Ghar' case to Kejriwal, former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, former Assembly Speaker Ram Niwas Goel and former Deputy Speaker Rakhi Birla.
In his letter, Kejriwal wrote, "At a time when Delhi is battling pollution, roads are in a dilapidated condition, garbage is piled up everywhere, and hospitals lack medicines, the Delhi Assembly has summoned me to answer questions on the 'Phansi Ghar'. I have informed the Privileges Committee that I will appear on March 6 in accordance with their summons. In the interest of transparency, I request that the proceedings be telecast live."
Earlier, Privileges Committee Chairman Pradyumn Singh Rajput had said that Kejriwal had expressed his willingness to appear on any day between March 2 and March 6. Similarly, the other three leaders had also sought a few days' time. Taking these requests into account and to avoid unnecessary delay in the probe, the committee fixed March 6 as the final date.
The Case Dates Back To 2022
The matter pertains to the alleged 'Phansi Ghar' constructed within the Delhi Assembly premises on August 9, 2022. Questions were raised regarding its inauguration and legality. Subsequently, Delhi Assembly Speaker Vijender Gupta termed the issue serious and referred it to the Privileges Committee for investigation. The committee was directed to examine whether the construction and inauguration violated the dignity, rules, and procedures of the Assembly.
Notices Issued Earlier As Well
The Privileges Committee had earlier summoned the concerned leaders multiple times to present their side, but they did not appear before the panel for various reasons.
Apart from Chairman Pradyumn Singh Rajput, the committee comprises Surya Prakash Khatri, Abhay Kumar Verma, Ajay Kumar Mahawar, Satish Upadhyay, Neeraj Basoya, Ravi Kant, Ram Singh Netaji and Surender Kumar as members. The committee had emphasised that cooperation from all concerned is essential to uphold the dignity of democratic institutions and ensure transparency and accountability.
