AAP MP Raghav Chadha suspended from Rajya Sabha over signatures forgery allegations

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Raghav Chadha has been suspended from Rajya Sabha till the time the Privilege Committee submits its findings. Chadha has been accused of forging signatures of five Members of Parliament in a motion related to the Delhi Services Bill. 

Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar 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."

The suspension comes after four Rajya Sabha MPs – S Phangnon Konyak and Narhari Amin of BJP, M Thambidurai of AIADMK and Sasmit Patra of BJD – said that their names were included in a committee moved by the AAP MP in the Upper House. 

Chadha’s motion of suspension was moved by Piyush Goyal who stated that the AAP leader’s conduct was unethical and unbecoming of a parliamentarian. 

In a media address on Thursday Chadha said the allegations were baseless and that an MP can propose the name of any MP without their written consent for a select committee. He said that he would approach the Committee of Privileges and the court of law against the BJP members who levelled the allegations of forgery against him. He showed the rule book to defend his position. 

Chadha also asked how the question of forgery arise when no signatures were taken and submitted. "I challenge the BJP to show the papers that have the forged signatures as alleged by them. The Parliamentary Bulletin on complaints against me has no mention of forgery, fake signatures," Chadha said. 

He said that the BJP moved against him because he exposed the party’s double standards and demanded justice for the people of Delhi. 

Chadha had proposed the constitution of a select committee to consider the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, 2023. He said that the Modi government has started a tradition of getting those members who speak against it suspended.  

The AAP MP had lashed out at Home Minister Amit Shah who, he added, wanted to get Chadha disqualified as was done in the case of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in Lok Sabha. 

Also read: Raghav Chadha accused of forging signatures in motion against Delhi Services Bill; see details