In response to the allegations against AAP MP Raghav Chadha forging signatures in the Parliament, the party has maintained that per the parliamentary rules and procedure, no signature or written consent is required before proposing members' names to a Select Committee. "Without the need for a signature, allegations of forgery hold no merit," AAP stated on Twitter.
According to media reports, MPs Narhani Amin and Sudhanshu Trivedi of BJP, Sasmit Patra of BJD, Thambidurai of AIADMK, and Phangon Konyak have given individual complaints against Chadha over the inclusion of their signatures in a proposed select committee. On Tuesday, the select committee was proposed by Chadha in the upper house to investigate the National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, which was voted on Monday.
AAP has further said that the Select Committees are "non-partisan committees comprising members of all major parties" and Chadha had just proposed the names, which were to be either accepted or rejected by the committee. "In this case, the House rejected the reference. So no question of inclusion of the names of the said complainants," added AAP.
India Today reported that according to AAP, the Parliamentary bulletin, that was issued on the matter, did not mention "forged/forgery/sign/signature" anywhere, and instead stated that Chadha violated Rule 72 of the Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Council of States (Rajya Sabha) which states, "No Member shall be appointed to a Select Committee if he is not willing to serve on the Committee. The mover shall ascertain whether a member proposed to be named by him is willing to serve on the Committee."
Earlier, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, while arguing in the Rajya Sabha, said that the Parliament's privilege committee must investigate the motion moved by Chadha. In response, Chadha said, “Let a privilege committee send me a notice. I will give my answer to the committee.”
AAP has accused Shah of "lying". "Home Minister Amit Shah and his entire BJP have a bad habit of lying," said AAP minister Sanjay Singh, who added, "Whoever speaks against the dictatorship of BJP, his membership will be taken away or he will be suspended. Like Rahul Gandhi, they want to take away the membership of Raghav Chadha also. Every member has the right to form a Selection Committee, there is no need for signature to put the names of the members in it."
