Arvind Kejriwal is set to appear before the Delhi Assembly’s Privileges Committee on Friday in connection with the ‘Phansi Ghar’ controversy at the Assembly premises. The panel had earlier summoned the concerned leaders several times, but they failed to appear and present their side citing different reasons.
Following his acquittal by a Delhi court in the excise policy case, former chief minister Arvind Kejriwal is scheduled to attend a hearing of the Delhi Legislative Assembly’s Privileges Committee regarding the ‘Phansi Ghar’ matter.
In a letter to the committee, Kejriwal said he will appear at 3 pm on Friday.
The Assembly panel has issued summonses 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.”
The Privileges Committee is investigating the dispute over “Phasi Ghar,” an alleged Raj-era execution chamber on the assembly grounds that the previous AAP administration refurbished and opened in 2022.
The controversy flared last August when Speaker Vijender Gupta claimed the former AAP government had falsely presented the space as a British-era “phansi-ghar” and renovated it, asserting that it was actually a “tiffin room” used to store and transport food and other items.
In addition to Kejriwal, the committee has summoned three other AAP leaders: former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, former Assembly Speaker Ramniwas Goel, and Deputy Speaker Rakhi Birla, to present themselves before the panel regarding the issue.
Last month, the committee set March 6 for the final in-person appearances of all four leaders, along with the submission of their statements.
Previously, on January 6, the Privileges Committee had suggested that the House take relevant action against Kejriwal, Birla, Sisodia, and Goel for their failure to appear before it on the matter.