Sanjay Singh receives his certificate from Returning Officer Ashish Kundra after he was elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha.
Credit: PTI Photo
New Delhi: AAP on Monday alleged that Sanjay Singh, who is presently in judicial custody, was not allowed to take oath as Rajya Sabha MP despite a court order, even as Rajya Sabha sources defended it saying it was not part of the list of business and Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar could not have done it.
Delhi Minister Saurabh Bhardwaj alleged that the Chairman was going against the Constitutional position that every MP will take oath.
"I think the Chairman of Rajya Sabha is going against the Constitutional provisions of this country. Article 99 of the Constitution says that every member shall take the oath. This matter of privileges (Singh was facing a privilege committee probe) was related to his membership which has already expired....You cannot deny him oath in his new term," he claimed.
Rajya Sabha sources said proceedings of the Upper House are regulated by the listed business, which is notified in the bulletin.
Oath taking of Singh was not listed in the business of House and no communication from Rajya Sabha on this matter ever came for consideration of the Chairman. Some AAP members met the Chairman and they were indicated of applicable rules and procedures, they said.
A direction has been passed by the House that Singh's suspension will remain in force till the Privilege Committee considers the report. That matter pertaining to his previous term has no impact on this, they added.
Senior RJD MP Manoj K Jha posted on 'X', "my friend Sanjay Singh was deprived of taking oath today after being elected as MP for the second time and despite the court's instructions. This is the new parliamentary paradigm of the so-called Amrit Kaal."