Phansi Ghar row: Assembly panel recommends action against Kejriwal, 3 others for skipping hearings

New Delhi: The Privileges Committee of the Delhi Assembly has recommended the House to take appropriate action against four AAP leaders, including ex-chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, for not appearing before it in a matter related to the authenticity of a 'Phansi Ghar’ on the Assembly premises.

In its report, the Committee said that Kejriwal, former deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia, ex-speaker Ram Niwas Goel and former deputy speaker Rakhi Birla “deliberately” and “wilfully” chose to stay away from its proceedings in the matter.

The ‘Phansi Ghar’ (execution room) row is a dispute between the AAP and the BJP over a renovated section in the Delhi Assembly, which the AAP claims to be a British-era gallows chamber, while the BJP claims it was a tiffin room.

The structure was renovated and inaugurated in 2022 by then chief minister Kejriwal as part of a ‘Phansi Ghar’ in the presence of Sisodia, Rakhi Birla and Goel.

During the Monsoon Session of the Assembly in August last year, the BJP reiterated its claim that people were misled to believe that the “Phansi Ghar” was a historic monument, while in reality it was a “tiffin room” in the British-era Assembly building.

The issue was handed over to the Privileges Committee, which, on September 9, 2025, issued letters to the four AAP leaders, requesting them to send their written comments regarding the “authenticity of the existence of the Phansi Ghar”.

However, the four AAP leaders in their replies challenged the jurisdiction of the Committee, claiming that there was no breach of privilege, the report said.

Later, Kejriwal and Sisodia filed a writ petition in the Delhi High Court seeking quashing of the Committee's letter, notice and summons.

The AAP leaders also did not appear before the Committee on November 13 and November 20, 2025, the report said.

It said that as former members of the Assembly, the AAP leaders were well aware of the events leading to the opening of the 'Phansi Ghar', and it was their bounden duty to appear before the panel and assist it in ascertaining the veracity of the claim related to the structure.

The action of the four AAP leaders to opt not to appear before the Committee constituted contempt of the House and its Committee, the report said.

“The Committee recommends that the House may take proper action as deemed fit against Arvind Kejriwal, Ram Niwas Goel, Manish Sisodia and Rakhi Birla for their wilful absence from the scheduled sittings of the Committee of Privileges on November 13 and November 20, 2025, without a just cause or any permission from the panel,” the report said.

The Committee will, however, continue to examine the main issue related to the authenticity of the 'Phansi Ghar' and submit a report in the next session, it added.