AAP’s request to appoint Raghav Chadha as party’s interim leader in Rajya Sabha rejected

AAP’s request to appoint Raghav Chadha as party’s interim leader in Rajya Sabha rejected

Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar has turned down Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener Arvind Kejriwal’s request to appoint Raghav Chadha as the party’s interim leader in the Upper House of Parliament. AAP’s Sanjay Singh, who is the current floor leader of the party in the Rajya Sabha, is in judicial custody.

“This aspect is subject to ‘The Leaders and Chief Whips of Recognised Parties and Groups in Parliament (Facilities) Act. 1998’ and the Rules made thereunder. The request, not being in conformity to applicable legal regime, is not being acceded to,” Dhankhar in a letter to Kejriwal said, PTI reported, citing sources.

With the development, Singh continues to remain the leader of the AAP in the Rajya Sabha.

Raghav Chadha suspended from Rajya Sabha

In August, Chadha was suspended from the Upper House on the last day of the Monsoon Session for allegedly forging the signatures of five MPs – BJP’s S Phangnon Konyak, Narhari Amin and Sudhanshu Trivedi, AIADMK’s M Thambidurai and BJD’s Sasmit Patra — on a motion related to the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, 2023, in the Rajya Sabha.

The motion was moved by BJP leader Leader of the House in Rajya Sabha Piyush Goyal, who called Chadha’s action “unethical”. He was suspended for “gross violation of rules, misconduct, defiant attitude and contemptuous conduct”, pending a report by the Privileges Committee.

Following this, Chadha had moved the Supreme Court against his “indefinite” suspension from the Upper House, calling it “arbitrary and illegal”.

During the Winter Session of the Parliament, Chadha’s suspension was revoked by the RS Chairman on a motion moved by BJP MP GVL Narasimha Rao. He said that the suspension suffered by the AAP MP so far should be considered as “sufficient punishment”.