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Jailed AAP leader Sanjay Singh not allowed to take oath as Rajya Sabha MP. Here's why
Sanjay Singh has been in jail since October in connection with the ED's money laundering probe into the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy
Aam Aadmi Party leader Sanjay Singh was not allowed to take oath as Rajya Sabha MP on Monday.
The office of Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, who is also the Rajya Sabha chairperson, issued a clarification after the AAP called the move unconstitutional.
“Proceedings of Rajya Sabha are regulated by the listed business which is notified in bulletin. Oath taking of Shri Sanjay Singh wasn't listed in the business of House and no communication from Rajya Sabha on this matter ever came for consideration of Rajya Sabha Chair,” a source in Dhankhar's office told HT.
“Some AAP members met the Chair and they were indicated of applicable rules & procedures. A direction has been passed by the House that Shri Sanjay Singh's suspension will remain in force till the Privilege Committee considers the report. That the matter pertains to his previous term has no impact on this,” the source added.
Sanjay Singh was suspended from the Rajya Sabha on July 24 last year for not following the directions of the chair.
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“I think the Chairman of Rajya Sabha is going against the Constitutional provisions of this country. Article 99 says that every member shall take the oath. This matter of privileges was related to his membership which has already expired....You cannot deny him oath in his new term...I think they are just politicizing it,” Delhi minister Saurabh Bharadwaj had told ANI.
The 51-year-old jailed AAP leader was on Saturday allowed by Delhi's Rouse Avenue court to take oath as an MP in policy custody. The court order had was issued two days after Singh had moved the court seeking interim bail for oath and also to attend the ongoing Budget session of Parliament from February 5 to 9.
Singh's lawyer had submitted in court that the plea for interim bail is not pressed as the AAP leader had to go to Sultanpur for a hearing in another case filed against him on February 7.
As the ED did not oppose his modified plea, the court dismissed the politician's interim bail application and allowed him to take oath on Monday.
Sanjay Singh has been in jail since October in connection with the ED's money laundering probe into the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy. He had been granted permission on January 4 to file his nomination for Rajya Sabha membership and on January 10 to go to the returning officer to receive his membership certificate.
The central agency is probing the alleged money laundering in the matter. The case pertains to the Arvind Kejriwal government's 2021-22 excise policy to revitalise the national capital's flagging liquor business.
The Delhi excise policy case pertains to allegations that the Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi government's excise policy for 2021-22 allowed cartelisation and favoured certain dealers who had allegedly paid bribes for it, a charge that has been strongly refuted by the AAP.
Sanjay Singh's party colleague and former Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia has been in jail since March last year in the same case.
