Chief secy vs AAP: No coercive action against Anshu Prakash, House panel assures Delhi HC

The court was hearing a plea by the Chief Secretary against a breach of privilege notice sent to him by an assembly committee for not appearing before it. On February 21, Prakash was called by the Question and Reference Committee of the Delhi Assembly.

A committee of the Delhi Assembly on Monday assured the Delhi high court that it would not take any coercive action against the chief secretary Anshu Prakash for skipping meetings called by the panel.

Delhi Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash leads a candle light march from Delhi Secretariat to Rajghat over the alleged assault on him by AAP MLAs. (PTI Photo)

The assurance from the privilege committee came after the high court made it clear that the matter before it should not be taken in view of the chief secretary seeking legal remedy before it.

After taking instructions from the competent authority, the counsel appearing for the Delhi Assembly Speaker, the Question and Reference committee and the privilege committee, said that the meeting, scheduled today regarding the privilege notice issued to Prakash, has been deferred till further orders.

The high court was hearing the matter when the privilege committee had commenced its meeting at the Old Secretariat building.

However, the privilege committee said the proceedings against two IAS officers — JB Singh, registrar of cooperative societies and Shurbir Singh, chief executive officer DUSIB, would continue as they have not moved the high court.

Prakash had challenged the privilege committee notice directing him to appear before it for skipping a meeting on February 20, which was scheduled a day after he was allegedly assaulted by two AAP MLAs Amanatullah Khan and Prakash Jarwal, both of whom are now in jail.

Prakash also did not attend the subsequent meetings on February 21 and 23, following which the notice was issued on March 1.

In his plea, the chief secretary has submitted that he was “summoned to appear before the privilege committee for inquiry without being provided any copy of the complaint or opportunity to respond to the same.”

A bench of Justice Rajiv Shakdher issued notices and sought responses from the ministry of home affairs, the lieutenant-governor, the AAP government, office of the Delhi Assembly Speaker, its privilege committee and the Question and Reference committee in two weeks.