New Delhi
The Supreme Court has agreed to examine a plea filed by Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Raghav Chadha against his suspension from the Rajya Sabha. A bench headed by Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud issued a notice to the Upper House secretariat, calling for its response by October 30. Given the legal issues’ significance, the bench also sought the assistance of Attorney General R. Venkataramani in the matter. During the hearing, senior advocate Rakesh Dwivedi, representing Chadha, argued that the issue holds national importance and that the Rajya Sabha Chairman cannot order the suspension of a member of the House pending an inquiry, especially when a committee on privileges is already investigating the matter. He pointed out that, in the past, the names of members who were not found to be signatories were simply dropped from the list of the proposed select committee. Last week, Chadha moved the Supreme Court after he was suspended in August on charges of not obtaining the consent of five Rajya Sabha MPs before including their names in a select committee. The AAP leader has been accused of forging the signatures of these MPs in a motion related to the Delhi Services Bill. Chadha’s suspension will remain in effect until the committee of privileges investigating the case submits its report. The motion for his suspension was initiated by BJP MP Piyush Goyal, who characterized Chadha’s actions as unethical.
