In a dramatic escalation of the ‘Phansi Ghar’ controversy, former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, ex-Deputy CM Manish Sisodia, former Speaker Ram Niwas Goel, and ex-MLA Rakhi Birla on Thursday boycotted the Delhi Assembly’s Committee of Privileges hearing, refusing to appear despite formal summons. The committee is investigating the 2022 inauguration of a room inside the Assembly complex that AAP leaders had publicly declared as a British-era gallows chamber used to hang Indian freedom fighters.

The panel, chaired by Pradyumn Singh Rajput, has now issued fresh summons for November 20, 2025, at 2:30 pm, marking the second and possibly final opportunity for the AAP leaders to present their side. “They did not appear today. We are giving them one more chance to place their version on record,” Rajput stated after Thursday’s sitting, which focused on examining documents and architectural records to establish the room’s historical authenticity.

The AAP leaders have challenged the committee’s jurisdiction itself, arguing that the structure was inaugurated during the previous Assembly term and has no bearing on current legislative functioning. Their plea was recently dismissed by the Delhi High Court as “not maintainable,” dealing a major setback to their attempt to stall the probe. The party maintains the room is a legitimate memorial to freedom fighters, while BJP members allege it was nothing more than a staircase or tiffin room hastily rebranded for political mileage.

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During Thursday’s proceedings, the committee reviewed original British-era plans and discussed involving the Archaeological Survey of India for scientific verification. BJP legislators have demanded forensic examination to settle whether any executions ever took place in the chamber, accusing the previous AAP government of spreading a “historically false narrative” inside the sacred precincts of the Assembly.

With the November 20 hearing now looming as a make-or-break moment, the committee has warned that non-cooperation could lead to adverse inferences and stricter action under privilege rules. What began as a symbolic tribute to martyrs in 2022 has snowballed into a full-blown political and legal battle, testing the limits of legislative oversight and keeping Delhi’s political circles on edge.

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