Raghav Chadha Rajya Sabha Suspension: SC Tells AAP MP To Apologise To Vice-Prez Dhankhar

The Supreme Court suggested Raghav Chadha to meet RS Chairperson Jagdeep Dhankhar and seek unconditional apology pertaining to his suspension from the Upper House.

The Supreme Court on Friday suggested Aam Aadmi Party leader Raghav Chadha to meet the Rajya Sabha Chairperson and Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar and seek unconditional apology pertaining to his suspension from the Upper House, as reported by the news agency ANI.

The apex court recorded the statements of Chadha’s lawyer that the MP has no intention to affect the dignity of the House of which he is a member and he will seek an appointment with Rajya Sabha Chairperson so that he may place an unconditional apology. The Court has said that the apology may be considered sympathetically by the Chairperson in the background of facts and circumstances of the House.

A bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra asked Attorney General R Venkataramani to apprise it of the developments in the matter after the Diwali vacation. The CJI said the lawmaker will have to meet the Rajya Sabha chairperson to tender an unconditional apology on the issue. The vice president, in turn, may take a sympathetic view of the entire matter and take further steps in this regard, as reported by the news agency PTI.

"I had said last time that if Mr Chadha is willing to tender an apology the chairman who is a distinguished senior can take a view as how long can we keep him in suspension. We are also aware of the dignity of the house and that along with being the VP he is the chairperson of the house and if he apologises to him then the Chairman can take a view accordingly," the CJI said, as quoted by The Bar and Bench. 

Raghav Chadha has been under suspension since August 11 after some MPs, a majority from the BJP, accused him of adding their names to a motion without their consent. The motion sought constitution of a select committee to examine the contentious Delhi Services Bill.

It was alleged that the Rajya Sabha MP from Punjab had moved a motion to refer the Delhi Services Bill to the select committee. He had allegedly named some lawmakers as members of the proposed committee and it was claimed that some of the MPs had not given their consent for it. The chairman took note of the complaint and suspended Chadha, pending an inquiry by the Committee of Privileges.