New Delhi, Nov 20 (IANS) Chairperson of Delhi Assembly’s Committee of Privileges Pradyumn Singh Rajput said on Thursday that former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal again failed for the second time to attend a hearing on alleged distortion of facts related to ‘Faansi Ghar’ (gallows) on the legislature’s premises.

“Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia, Ram Niwas Goel and Rakhi Birla once again did not appear before the Committee of Privileges despite being given two opportunities to present their version on record,” said Rajput.

He said, “Noting their continued non-appearance in both the scheduled sittings, the Committee has now decided to determine the further course of action in the matter under consideration.”

Delhi Legislative Assembly Speaker Vijender Gupta had raised the matter concerning the authenticity of the ‘Faansi Ghar’ inaugurated on August 9, 2022, within the Delhi Legislative Assembly premises under the then Kejriwal government.

After Gupta raised the matter, the Committee of Privileges was directed to investigate the issue further.

In the continuation of its ongoing inquiry, the Committee had scheduled Thursday’s sitting specifically to deliberate on the matter of the authenticity of ‘Faansi Ghar’.

The sitting was convened to advance the factual and procedural assessment required for a comprehensive examination of the circumstances surrounding the inauguration, said a statement.

The Privileges Committee comprises Chairperson Rajput, Surya Prakash Khatri, Abhay Kumar Verma, Ajay Kumar Mahawar, Satish Upadhyay, Neeraj Basoya, Ravi Kant, Ram Singh Netaji and Surender Kumar.

The Committee reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring transparency, accountability, and institutional integrity. It emphasised that cooperation from all concerned individuals is indispensable for the completion of a fair and comprehensive inquiry.

In August, Speaker Gupta said, “After several days of sustained discussion in this House, supported by verified facts and documents, it has been conclusively established that crores of rupees were spent on constructing fake gallows and disseminating misleading advertisements within the Delhi Legislative Assembly complex.”

“When the so-called gallows was constructed in 2022, coinciding with the commemoration of the Quit India Movement on August 9, my own emotions, along with those of fellow Opposition members, were stirred with patriotic sentiment,” he said.

Gupta said after assuming the office of Speaker, and upon receiving verified documents from credible research institutions and national archives, it became painfully clear that this so-called gallows was a complete fabrication.

He said the Opposition, which was the ruling party at the time this misrepresentation occurred, was requested by the House to present any concrete evidence justifying the construction of such a structure.

“However, despite being given three days, they failed to provide any logical or factual justification. Their continued silence has further strengthened the conclusion that this was a deliberate and fraudulent act,” he said.

In contrast, authenticated documents received from the National Archives of India, including a 1912 map of the Assembly premises, along with research conducted by various esteemed institutions such as the Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR), Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA), historians from Delhi University and JNU, the MCD Heritage Cell, Delhi Archives, and other independent historians, have collectively confirmed that no gallows ever existed in this building, nor was there any tunnel leading from the Assembly premises to the Red Fort, as falsely claimed, he said in a statement.

–IANS

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