Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Member of Parliament, Raghav Chadha, has taken his suspension from the Rajya Sabha to the highest court in the land, the Supreme Court. The 34-year-old lawmaker’s suspension from the Upper House during the Monsoon Session stemmed from allegations of a breach of privileges complaint.

Chadha faced accusations of not obtaining consent from five Rajya Sabha MPs before including their names in a select committee. His suspension from the Rajya Sabha remains in effect until the committee of privileges concludes its investigation and submits its report. The five Rajya Sabha MPs in question—S Phangnon Konyak, Narhari Amin, Sudhanshu Trivedi of BJP, M Thambidurai of AIADMK, and Sasmit Patra of BJD—claimed that Chadha included their names in the select committee without their consent. Chadha had proposed the formation of a select committee to deliberate on the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, 2023, and included the names of the four MPs.

Union Minister Piyush Goyal had accused Raghav Chadha of “gross impropriety and misconduct” and remarked that his conduct fell far short of the ethical standards expected from a member of the Rajya Sabha. Goyal’s accusations were made in response to Chadha’s actions in the House, where he moved an amendment under relevant rules to refer the Government of National Capital Territory Amendment Bill 2023 to a select committee comprising 19 members, including the five mentioned MPs.

In response to his suspension, Chadha emphasized that it sends a strong message to the youth of today, stating, “My suspension serves as a stark message from the BJP to today’s youth: If you dare to ask questions, we will crush your voice.” He contended that his suspension was a result of his rigorous questioning that left the BJP without answers during his speech in Parliament regarding the Delhi Services Bill.

Chadha further elaborated, “My crime was exposing BJP’s double standards on Delhi’s statehood and asking them to follow ‘Advani-vaad’ and ‘Vajpayee-vad’. The fact that a 34-year-old MP showed them a mirror and held them accountable, left them scarred.”

With the matter now before the Supreme Court, the case will be closely watched as it delves into the intersection of parliamentary privileges and freedom of expression in India’s democratic landscape.

Sources By Agencies