BJP and AAP clashed in the Delhi Assembly over a 2022 AAP-inaugurated “phansi ghar,” which the Speaker claimed is actually a British-era tiffin room.
BJP accused AAP of distorting history and misusing funds, while AAP defended the site's historical relevance.
Protests led to the marshalling out of AAP MLAs; the Speaker said the House will take action on Thursday.
The BJP and AAP sparred over the existence British-era “phansi ghar” (execution room) on the Delhi Assembly premises. This led to the marshalling out of Leader of Opposition Atishi and other MLAs of the opposition party amid noisy protests.
According to PTI, Speaker Vijender Gupta told the House that the structure, which was renovated and inaugurated in 2022 by then chief minister Arvind Kejriwal as a "phansi ghar", was actually a "tiffin room" as per records. Displaying a 1912 map of the assembly complex, he said there was no documentation or evidence indicating that the space was used for executions.
He slammed the previous AAP government for inaugurating the tiffin room as "phansi-ghar" on August 9 2022, which was the anniversary of 'the Quit India Movement'.
The BJP demanded an apology from AAP chief Kejriwal for "misleading" the House, while AAP MLAs questioned the Speaker for raising the issue at a time when the national capital was grappling with several pressing problems.
Chief Minister Rekha Gupta weighed in, accusing the previous AAP government of misleading the public and said, "I do not agree with Minister Sirsa for calling Kejriwal a fool. He was brilliant; he knew how to play with people's sentiments. His large shirt, muffler, small car, pen worth two rupees, and even his cough, everything had a purpose. He believed he was the heir to Bhagat Singh's legacy."
PTI reported that the chief minister said she had visited the so-called "phansi-ghar" and found the claims baseless.
She added, "The space is so narrow that a person would cling to the pillar and refuse to be hanged. No evidence or document has been presented by the opposition to support their claim. I demand an inquiry and recovery of the Rs 1 crore spent on (renovating) this structure. This bundle of lies should be removed from the Assembly premises."
"Demystifying the 'phansi-ghar' claim by the Speaker will restore the dignity of the Assembly," Minister Kapil Mishra said in a blistering attack on the AAP.
"The AAP government shredded democratic traditions. They created a fake 'phansi-ghar' by putting shoes and clothes there, spending crores of rupees. They insulted our freedom fighters and tampered with history for petty gains." AAP MLA Sanjeev Jha defended the claim and said several such execution rooms built during the British era were never officially documented.
Jha added, "This 'phansi ghar' was made by the Britishers. Many historians have noted that not all hangings were recorded. There are also varying views among historians about where Bhagat Singh threw the bomb — in this building or Parliament."
He pointed out that, according to the 1912 map, the only double-storey structure on the premises was the one identified as the "phansi-ghar".
He urged the government to turn over the site and materials to the Archaeological Survey of India so that they can conduct a thorough examination. "Why are we requesting evidence from the British Parliament? For what reason would they record their crimes? Jha posed.
Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said the claim was "proof that Delhi was ruled by an uneducated chief minister".
"Nobody from the freedom movement era, including Babasaheb Ambedkar, objected to any such use of this site. The shaft in the room is just 2.5 feet wide, and the rope used was for a service lift — it couldn't have been used for hangings," he said.
According to PTI, AAP MLA Jarnail Singh alleged that the BJP was trying to "distort" history and sought to defend the claim about the presence of phansi-ghar on the Assembly premises by citing ChatGPT.
The House will act on the issue on Thursday, according to Speaker Vijender Gupta.
