AAP MP Raghav Chadha moves Supreme Court over suspension from Rajya Sabha

10 Oct 2023 Evaluate

Aam Aadmi Party MP Raghav Chadha today moved the Supreme Court challenging his suspension from Rajya Sabha.

Raghav Chadha was suspended from the Rajya Sabha on August 11 for ‘breach of privilege’ following a compliant by four MPs. He was suspended till a report of a committee of privileges was furnished. On the last day of the Monsoon Session, Leader of the House Piyush Goyal raised the issue of Raghav Chadha violating the rules and proposing the names of four members for a committee of the House without their consent. The complaints were submitted by four MPs – Sasmit Patra, S Phangnon Konyak, M Thambidurai and Narhari Amin. The complaint was lodged before the Vice President and Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankar. According to the rules, neither a member's consent nor signature is required to propose his or her name for a Select Committee.

Chadha has argued that his suspension was in clear violation of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Council of States (Rajya Sabha) as well as Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution. His plea states that, due to the suspension, he is not able to attend the meetings of the Standing Committee on Finance and the Committee on Subordinate Legislation, which continue their work even when Parliament is not in session. Besides challenging his suspension, Chadha has also urged the Supreme Court to hold that the power of the Chairman under Rule 266 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Council of States (Rajya Sabha) does not extend to suspension of a member beyond the period specified in Rule 256 of the Rajya Sabha Rules.