Ex-CM Atishi pushes for live-streaming in Phansi Ghar row

A day before former chief minister Arvind Kejriwal is scheduled to appear before the Delhi Assembly's Privileges Committee over the Phansi Ghar (execution chamber) issue, Leader of Opposition Atishi on Thursday reiterated the demand for live-streaming of the proceedings.

Atishi said the Delhi government was far more focused on abusing Kejriwal than addressing pressing civic concerns such as electricity, water, roads, schools and hospitals.

“If the BJP has courage, it should live-stream the hearing of Arvind Kejriwal before the Privileges Committee on Friday so that the public can see the truth. The committee has asked him to clarify whether British-era gallows existed in the Delhi Assembly or not,” Atishi said.

The Privileges Committee is examining the significance of a British-era Phansi Ghar replicated inside the Delhi Assembly by the AAP government. The AAP claims that the building housed secret gallows during British rule, while the BJP claims that it was only a tiffin room.

When Ram Niwas Goel became Speaker of the Delhi Assembly, Atishi said, several closed rooms in the Assembly were opened and renovated. Inside one room, they discovered a tunnel leading to a rear passage, where they found ropes, glass bullets, and some shoes and clothes, she said.

The AAP leader said the comparison of these findings with British-era documents indicated that the current Delhi Assembly building housed a magistrate's court during British rule.

“After decisions were delivered in the magistrate's court, prisoners were kept there for some time. The presence of ropes and bullets suggested that it may have been one of the several hidden gallows that the British constructed to secretly hang, shoot or eliminate Indian freedom fighters through extrajudicial means,” Atishi said.

In response, Speaker Vijender Gupta wrote to Atishi alleging that she was making “unsubstantiated statements” before the press.

“Such actions undermine the independent and non-partisan functioning of the Assembly's Committee of Privileges. If such evidence exists, it must be presented formally to the Committee rather than through the media,” Gupta said.

The Speaker further requested that Atishi should advise Kejriwal, former deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia, ex-speaker Ram Niwas Goel, and deputy speaker Rakhi Birla to submit actual proof during their scheduled appearance, reminding her that this is the very purpose for which they have been summoned.

On Tuesday, Kejriwal wrote to the Privileges Committee confirming that he would appear before it on March 6 in the 'Phansi Ghar' issue and demanded the live-streaming of proceedings.