“Was I suspended because I asked questions…”: Raghav Chadha after being suspended from Rajya Sabha

New Delhi [India], August 11 (ANI): Hours after Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Raghav Chadha was suspended from the Rajya Sabha for “breach of privilege” after complaints of ‘fraud’, he slammed Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and asked if he was suspended because he asked questions from leaders of the ruling party.
He further raised questions on what was his crime that led to his suspension adding that was it because he asked for justice from BJP over the Delhi Services Bill.
"Why was I suspended? What was my crime? Was I suspended because I asked questions from the leaders of the largest party that is the BJP? Or my crime was that I put forth my point on the Delhi Services bill & asked for justice from BJP...This week I received two notices from the Committee of Privileges...Opposition is not given a chance to speak in Parliament...BJP is accusing me of forging signatures but the truth is any MP can propose the name for the formation of any committee and neither the signature nor the written consent of the person whose name is proposed is required...", Raghav Chadha said.
Raghav Chadha was suspended on Friday from the Rajya Sabha for “breach of privilege” after complaints of ‘fraud’.
The move came after a complaint from four MPs alleging he named them in a house panel without their consent.
Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar, while announcing Chadha’s suspension, said, "...I suspend Raghav Chadha from the service of the Council till the Council has the benefit of the report by the Committee of Privileges."
His suspension followed a motion moved by the Leader of the House Piyush 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.
However, according to the AAP, the suspension has been done due to Raghav's press conference yesterday defending himself in the alleged breach matter.
“Nowhere has Piyush Goyal's motion for suspension or notice served by Privilege Committee mentioned the words - forgery or fake, signatures, farziwada etc. It doesn't even remotely allege anything to this effect. The Leader of the House has also quoted excerpts from the Press Conference on 10th August 2023 and quoted the example of using birthday invitation to explain the process of consent,” the party said.
Earlier on August 8, Union Home Minister Amit Shah in the Rajya Sabha alleged fraud after five MPs of the Upper House — S Phangnon Konyak, Narhari Amin and Sudhanshu Trivedi of BJP, M Thambidurai of AIADMK and Sasmit Patra of BJD — said that their name was included without their consent in a motion moved by Chadha in the House.
“Two members (BJD MP Sasmit Patra and BJP MP Dr Sudhanshu Trivedi) are saying that they have not signed the motion (to be part of select committee) moved by AAP MP Raghav Chadha. Now it is a matter of investigation how the motion was signed,” said Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Rajya Sabha on Delhi Services Bill. (ANI)