New Delhi, March 6 (IANS) Soon after facing questions of the Delhi Assembly’s Privileges Committee, former chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday tried to give the ‘Faansi Ghar’ authentication matter a political twist, accusing the BJP of disrespecting freedom fighters.

Kejriwal’s former deputy Manish Sisodia failed to appear before the Committee despite being given a last chance.

Sticking to AAP’s stand that a ‘Faansi Ghar’ existed on the Assembly premises during the British era, Kejriwal accused the ruling BJP of indulging in a debate that is disrespectful to freedom fighters.

Countering him, Delhi BJP President Virendra Sachdeva said that AAP leaders should, before wrongly accusing the BJP of disrespecting freedom fighters, question their Congress bosses as to why they never found a ‘Faansi Ghar’ in the Old Secretariat while the grand old party was in power from 1947 to 2013.

Sachdeva said that the lies of the AAP leaders and Kejriwal regarding the declaration of the existence of a ‘gallows’ on Assembly premises have been exposed to such an extent that they are now willing to tell thousands of lies to cover up their mistake.

Earlier, Kejriwal told reporters after the Privileges Committee’s meeting that the BJP-led Delhi government is hell-bent on proving a ‘Faansi Ghar’ on the Assembly premises as a ‘tiffin room’.

“During the British era, a part of the Delhi Assembly was where freedom fighters were hanged. In 2022, this was brought to light so that people would know too,” he said.

“But now the BJP government is busy proving it’s not a ‘hanging room’, but a ‘tiffin room’… What greater insult could there be to the freedom fighters? Roads in Delhi are broken, power is being cut, there are no medicines in hospitals… But BJP has no concern for the issues of Delhi’s people,” said Kejriwal.

“They are only interested in indulging in politics. They are only interested in proving a place where freedom fighters were hanged as a tiffin room,” said Kejriwal.

He said that during the Committee’s meeting, he was asked to give proof to support the fact that a section of the Assembly identified as ‘Faansi Ghar’ was indeed a gallows.

“I told the Committee members that the then Speaker of the Assembly had some information based on which he concluded that a ‘Faansi Ghar’ existed on the Assembly premises,” he said.

Kejriwal said he also questioned the Committee members to show proof that the shaft in question was indeed a tiffin box and not a ‘Faansi Ghar’.

Earlier, Assembly Speaker Vijender Gupta cautioned Kejriwal’s party colleague Atishi not to make comments and cast aspersions on a matter which is before the Privileges Committee.

“You should appreciate the difference between a political party and the Assembly and its Committees. The Delhi Assembly and its Committees function independently now. Maybe, it is a new phenomenon to you, as history is witness to the misuse of the Assembly and its Committees during the previous period,” he said.

“As the Speaker of the House, I find it disappointing that you have resorted to such unsubstantiated statements without any evidence, and it is my duty to advise you to not insult or defame the Assembly Committees for your narrow political gains,” the Speaker said.

The matter, originally raised by Assembly Speaker Gupta, concerns the authenticity of the ‘Faansi Ghar’ inaugurated on August 9, 2022, within the Delhi Assembly premises.

The Committee of Privileges was directed to investigate the issue to facilitate a factual and procedural assessment of the circumstances surrounding the inauguration.

–IANS

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