Speaker says British-era 'Phansi-ghar' inaugurated by Kejriwal was tiffin room; BJP, AAP spar

The BJP and AAP sparred in the Delhi Assembly on Tuesday after Speaker Vijender Gupta told the House that the so-called British-era ''phansi-ghar'' (execution room), inaugurated on the assembly premises in 2022 following renovation by then chief minister Arvind Kejriwal with much fanfare, was originally a ''tiffin room''.

PWD minister Parvesh Verma accused the previous AAP government of ''distorting facts'' and said photos of freedom fighters put up in the room will be removed.

During the Assembly proceedings, Gupta, citing a map of 2011 when the Delhi Assembly building was constructed, said the claim of a tunnel running from the Assembly premises to the Red Fort (Lal Qila) was also incorrect.

The BJP demanded an apology from AAP chief Kejriwal for ''misleading'' the House, while AAP MLAs questioned the Speaker for raising the issue at a time when the national capital was grappling with several pressing problems.

The treasury and opposition benches were involved in heated exchanges, with a visiting delegation of British Parliament witnessing the noisy scene.

In his remarks, Gupta said that the map also showed that the present Speaker's room was formerly the members' library and that the Deputy Speaker's room was the Viceroy's chamber during British rule.

The map also indicated the presence of a smoking room in old times, he said. He slammed the previous AAP government for inaugurating the tiffin room as ''phansi-ghar'' on August 9 2022, which was the anniversary of the Quit India Movement.

''A meeting was also held with historians who said that the so-called phansi-ghar and the associated structure were actually a tiffin room and a lift. The National Archives documents provided to us also proved this,'' Gupta said.

''The claim of a tunnel running from the Assembly to Lal Qila was also incorrect,'' the Speaker said, adding, ''Historians said that in old times such buildings used to have underground ventilation ducts. Such a space is also there in the old Parliament House.'' BJP chief whip Abhay Verma said the so-called ''phansi-ghar'' was actually a rope-operated lift system connected to a chamber used as the ''tiffin room''.

BJP MLAs demanded that AAP supremo and former Delhi chief minister Kejriwal tender an apology for ''misleading'' people with ''false claims'' and ''distorting'' history. BJP MLA Ajay Mahawar proposed bringing a censure motion against the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) over the matter.

The Speaker asked the opposition AAP members to clarify their stand. He directed AAP MLAs to present their side on Wednesday with facts and documents.

AAP MLA Jarnail Singh alleged that the BJP was trying to ''distort'' history and to defend the claim about the presence of phansi-ghar on the Assembly premises by citing information from ChatGPT.

''If you search for gallows on ChatGPT, you will find that there were gallows here. You are trying to shield the British government,'' he charged.

BJP legislator Sanjay Goyal said the AAP ran government in Delhi using ChatGPT. Leader of Opposition Atishi questioned the relevance of raising the issue, saying many pressing problems were being faced by the people of Delhi that need the attention of the House.

Addressing the House, Delhi Minister Parvesh Verma said, ''It was Ram Niwas Goel, the then Speaker of Delhi Assembly, who had discovered it and called it an execution room. But it does not conform to the maps that we have found.'' Later, Verma added: ''The previous government distorted facts. Without any inquiry or without interacting with the Delhi Archives or ASI, they gave it the name of Phansi Ghar.'' ''They spent a lot of money. Our Speaker sir got it enquired into and found it wasn't true. Ropes and shoes were found. Shoes belong to workers. Our Speaker has kept all the facts. All the maps, photos and documents prove that there was no phansi ghar but a lift. We will remove everything and portray it as it was,'' he said.

In a statement issued later, Atishi questioned the point of discussion on the execution room.

''What is the point of discussion in the Assembly today? Running a session of the Delhi Assembly costs lakhs of rupees every hour,'' she said.

This is the hard-earned taxpayers' ”money that people earn through hard work and give to the government, Atishi said.

''And yet, you won't allow a discussion on jhuggis, on schools, on the shortage of medicines in hospitals, or the worsening law and order situation. Instead, the only thing BJP wants to talk about is 'hanging room'?'' she alleged that there was an attempt to waste the time of the Assembly.

The Delhi Assembly building, located on Old Secretariat Road, was built in 1912 for the Imperial Legislative Council when Delhi became the capital.

After various administrative uses post-independence, it became the seat of the Delhi Legislative Assembly in 1993. It remains a symbol of Delhi's legislative governance.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)