New Delhi, Aug 7 (NationPress) Delhi Assembly Speaker Vijender Gupta on Thursday referred the matter regarding the construction of a fake “Fansi Ghar (Gallows Gallery)” for public display by the former AAP government to the Privileges Committee of the House, setting the stage for questioning former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.

Gupta directed the entire issue to the Privileges Committee for a thorough investigation amidst ongoing heated debates between the ruling BJP and the Opposition Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) concerning the facts surrounding the alleged “Gallows gallery” located on the Assembly grounds.

The Committee is expected to summon Kejriwal, former Speaker Ram Niwas Goel, former Deputy CM Manish Sisodia, and former Deputy Speaker Rakhi Birla, as stated in an official declaration.

In his directive for the inquiry, Speaker Gupta remarked, “Tampering with a heritage building, misrepresenting a historical structure as gallows or a tunnel, and attempting to falsify history constitute an unforgivable crime against the truth. This House, in the strongest possible terms, condemns this grave act of distortion and deceit.”

The referral to the Committee follows three days of exchanges between BJP legislators and AAP MLAs regarding the “Gallows gallery” established by the previous administration for visitors to the Assembly.

While BJP legislators have disputed the authenticity of the gallows, AAP legislators have argued that the ruling party is trying to uphold British narratives.

Chief Minister Rekha Gupta has accused former CM Kejriwal of misleading the public and staging drama to validate his “patriotic credentials”.

On Thursday, Speaker Gupta stated, “After several days of sustained discussion in this House, backed by verified facts and documents, it has been conclusively established that crores of rupees were spent on constructing a fake gallows and disseminating misleading advertisements within the Delhi Legislative Assembly complex.”

“When the so-called gallows was constructed in 2022, coinciding with the commemoration of the Quit India Movement on August 9, my own emotions, along with those of fellow Opposition members, were stirred with patriotic sentiment,” he expressed.

Gupta noted that after assuming the office of Speaker, and upon receiving verified documents from credible research institutions and national archives, it became painfully clear that this so-called gallows was a complete fabrication.

He indicated that the Opposition, which was the ruling party at the time of this misrepresentation, was asked by the House to provide any concrete evidence justifying the construction of such a structure.

“However, despite being given three days, they failed to provide any logical or factual justification. Their continued silence has fortified the conclusion that this was a deliberate and fraudulent act,” he said.

In contrast, validated documents obtained from the National Archives of India, including a 1912 map of the Assembly premises, along with research from various esteemed institutions such as the Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR), Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA), historians from Delhi University and JNU, the MCD Heritage Cell, Delhi Archives, and other independent historians, have collectively confirmed that no gallows ever existed in this building, nor was there any tunnel leading from the Assembly premises to the Red Fort, as falsely claimed.