Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Raghav Chadha found himself in the middle of a controversy after allegations of forgery were raised against him by Rajya Sabha MPs on Monday. Chadha moved a motion against the Delhi Services Bill with the signatures of five MPs which were allegedly included by fraudulent means.
A 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. The motion to send the Bill to Select Committee was moved by the AAP MP.
Union Home Minister, while arguing in the Rajya Sabha, said that the Parliament's privilege committee must investigate the motion moved by Chadha that has names of MPs who never signed the same. "Two MPs are now claiming that they did not second it. Sasmit Patra of the BJD said he never gave consent for inclusion in the motion. How could his name be taken," Shah said, according to a report by NDTV.
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 the proposed select committee.
Responding to the allegations, Chadha said, “Let a privilege committee send me a notice. I will give my answer to the committee.”
YSRCP MP Vijay Sai Reddy claimed one of its party members' names was also included by Chadha without his consent. He added that no prior consultation was made with the MP before the inclusion of their name in the proposed select committee. "So, some of the members, including our MP, have decided to move for a privilege motion against Raghav Chadha," Reddy said.
BJD's Sasmit Patra told news agency ANI, "At the time when resolutions were being moved in the House (during the discussion on the Delhi Services Bill), I learned that my name was mentioned in a resolution moved by Raghav Chadha. How could he put my name in the resolution without my consent? I hope the Chairman of the House will take action. I have tendered a complaint. Obviously, this is a matter of privilege. All of us have filed our complaints individually."
Similar allegations were made by the other MPs, whose names were included in the document. Thambidurai claimed that he has written a letter to the Rajya Sabha Speaker Jagdeep Dhankar seeking an investigation into the matter.
Meanwhile, the AAP leader has called the Bill a "political fault" and a "constitutional sin".
