RS Chairman urges members to go through privileges panel report on charges against Raghav Chadha

New Delhi [India], December 4 : Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar on Monday urged members of the House to exemplify conduct that can be emulated by others and also told them to go through the report of Privileges Committee which held AAP member Raghav Chadha "guilty" of two charges against him.
The Chairman made the remarks amid a brief din in the House when Union Communications, Electronics and Information Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw was replying to a debate on the bill.
Rajya Sabha on Monday decided to discontinue the suspension of Raghav Chadha holding him "guilty of breach of privilege" and noting that the suspension suffered by him so far be taken as sufficient punishment.
"I make a very fervent appeal to everyone that members of the Upper House have to show a conduct which is gladly emulated by others. It was in that perspective, I made an appeal that everyone should go through the report of the Committee of Privileges with respect to Raghav Chadha. I had the occasion to see the young man. There should have been remorse, there should have been reflection. It was a day on which he was held guilty on both the counts by a very detailed report. The suspension had not come to an end. The sentence was limited to this day," Dhankhar said.
"So here was a case where a Member of this House suffered being held guilty and punished. I would urge everyone to live up to the highest expectations," he added.
The motion for discontinuing the suspension of Raghav Chadha, on the first day of the winter session of Parliament, was moved by BJP member GVL Narasimha Rao after the Chairman asked him to do so.
Chadha was suspended from the Upper House on August 11, during the Monsoon session.
The report was presented in the House by CPI-M member Elamaram Kareem.
The Chairman earlier said the committee after "deep and thoughtful consideration" has found Raghav Chadha guilty of both the charges levelled against him.
"Charge one (is) that he intentionally and deliberately presented misleading facts to the media, misinterpreted proceedings of the council, resulting in affront to the authority of Chairman Rajya Sabha and engaged in outrageous defiance of the resolutions of the house and directives of the honourable chairman of the Rajya Sabha," he said.
"As regards the sentence, the committee finds the suspension suffered by him since 11th August 2023 from the house thus far as the sufficient sentence that will meet the ends of justice. The committee stands committed to upholding the sanctity of Parliamentary proceedings and safeguarding the integrity of the institution. The committee expresses hope that Raghav Chadha will reflect and introspect," he added.
Moving the motion, GVL Narasimha Rao said that the House resolves that Raghav Chadha, "be held guilty of breach of privileges, and the suspension suffered by him so far be taken as sufficient punishment and the house may consider discontinuance of suspension of Raghav Chadha, member, from the service of the Council from this day".
After the motion was adopted, Dhankhar announced that Chadha may now attend the proceedings of the House.
He was suspended till the Privilege Committee submitted its findings on the allegation against him for forging the signatures of five MPs in a motion related to the Delhi Services Bill in the Rajya Sabha.
Chadha had moved to the Supreme Court court, challenging his indefinite suspension from the Upper House. Following hearings in the case, the Supreme Court asked Chadha to meet Jagdeep Dhankhar and tender an unconditional apology.
A bench comprising Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra hoped that the chairperson would take a "sympathetic" view of the matter.
The bench recorded the statements of Chadha's lawyer that the MP has no intention to affect the dignity of the House of which he is a member and he will seek an appointment with the Rajya Sabha Chairperson so that he may place an unconditional apology.