RS panel holds Raghav Chadha guilty for misleading facts, ends suspension

The Privileges Committee of Rajya Sabha on Monday held AAP MP Raghav Chadha guilty of presenting misleading facts to the media and was allowed to attend the House proceedings after his suspension was ended through a motion.

Chadha was also held guilty of adding names of members in the proposed select panel without their consent.

A motion to end his suspension was moved in the house by BJP member GVL Narasimha Rao, which was adopted by a voice vote, that said his suspension so far is "sufficient punishment" for him.

Ahead of the motion, Rajya Sabha chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar said, "the committee after deep and thoughtful consideration finds Raghav Chadha finds guilty of both the charges."

"Charge one (is) that he intentionally and deliberately presented misleading facts to the media, misinterpreted proceedings of the council, resulting in affront to the authority of Chairman Rajya Sabha and engaged in outrageous defiance of the resolutions of the house and directives of the honourable chairman of the Rajya Sabha," Dhankhar said while reading out the report.

Earlier, Elamaram Kareem presented the report of the Privileges Committee of the Rajya Sabha in the House.

The Chairman also said that Chadha was also found guilty of the charges of adding names of members to the proposed select committee of the House without their consent.

Later Narasimha Rao moved the motion, saying, "That this house resolves that Shri Raghav Chadha, member, be held guilty of breach of privileges, and the suspension suffered by him so far be taken as sufficient punishment and the house may consider discontinuance of suspension of Shri Raghav Chadha, member, from the service of the Council from this day."

After the motion was adopted, Dhankhar announced that Chadha can now attend the House proceedings.

Chadha was suspended from the Upper House on August 11, during the Monsoon session.