The Supreme Court of India has expressed concern over the indefinite suspension of Member of Parliament Raghav Chadha and its impact on the right of the people to be represented. The exclusion of a member of the political opposition from the house is seen as a serious matter. The bench, consisting of Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, questioned the authority of the Privileges Committee to issue such an order.
The bench raised concerns about the representation of the constituency whose member is suspended indefinitely. They questioned the power of the privilege committee to impose such a suspension. The exclusion of members of the opposition from the House is considered a grave issue. The court emphasized that Chadha, as a representative of a different voice than the ruling party, plays an essential role. The indefinite suspension is seen as a cause for concern, with 75 days already passed.
Raghav Chadha’s counsel, senior advocate Rakesh Dwivedi, stated that the MP respects the Rajya Sabha and has apologized previously and is doing so again. The bench assured that they would investigate the issue of indefinite suspension.
Raghav Chadha, an Aam Aadmi Party MP, has challenged his indefinite suspension from Rajya Sabha in the Supreme Court. He was suspended on August 11 for a “breach of privilege” after complaints were made against him. The allegations stated that he included the names of five Rajya Sabha MPs in a select committee without obtaining their consent. He will remain suspended until the Privilege Committee submits its findings on the forgery allegations related to the Delhi Services Bill.
Chadha argues that his suspension is illegal and lacks the authority of the law. The motion for his suspension was initiated by Leader of the House Piyush Goyal, who accused Chadha of including names without consent in a proposed select committee for the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, 2023.
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