NEW DELHI: In its first reaction on the suspension of its Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha on Friday, AAP has requested the media to abstain from using the “forgery” or “fake signature” or else the party will be constrained to take legal action as per law.
Before the Rajya Sabha was adjourned sine die, leader of the House Piyush Goyal moved a resolution to suspend Chadha till the submission of report by Committee on Privileges.
In a statement, AAP said the said suspension has been done due to Raghav's press conference on Thursday defending himself in the alleged breach of matter.
It said, “Nowhere has Piyush Goyal's motion for suspension or notice served by the privilege committee mentions the words – forgery or fake, signatures, farziwada etc. It does not even remotely allege anything to this effect.”
The AAP statement said Goyal also quoted excerpts from Chadha’s press conference on August 10 and cited the example of using a birthday invitation to explain the process of consent.
“Therefore, since there has been no mention of any forgery or fake signature, the media is requested to abstain from using the same else we will be constrained to take legal action as per law,” it said.
Chadha was suspended from Rajya Sabha for "gross violation of rule, misconduct, defiant attitude and contemptuous conduct", pending a report by the privileges committee.
His suspension followed a motion moved by Goyal who sought action against the AAP leader for including names of some members of the Upper House without their consent in a proposed select committee for the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, 2023.
During the debate on August 7 in the Rajya Sabha on the Delhi services bill, tabled by home minister Amit Shah, the AAP MP had proposed the setting up of a select committee to examine it.
However, just before voting took place on the bill, at least three members stood up and alleged that their names had been included in the list without their consent.
Sasmit Patra of the BJD, M Thambidurai of the AIADMK and S Phangnon Konyak of the BJP stood up and complained that their consent was not taken for the inclusion of their names in the proposed select committee. Later, Narhari Amin also complained in the matter.
AAP leaders such as Sanjay Singh, Atishi Marlena and Saurach Bhardwaj have defended Chadha in the matter.
(With agency inputs)
