AAP rebuts Amit Shah's 'fraud allegation' on Raghav Chadha's motion

New Delhi, August 8: In response to allegations of fraud in a motion moved by Raghav Chadha of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), the Arvind Kejriwal-led government has provided clarifications stating that the rules of the proceedings do not require "written consent or signature of the member whose name has been proposed." AAP sources assert that there is no question of any allegation of "forged signature."

The clarification comes after five Rajya Sabha members raised objections, claiming that their names were included in a proposed select committee of the House for the Delhi Services Bill without their signatures, in the proposal moved by Raghav Chadha. The MPs who have raised objections include S Phangnon Konyak, Narhari Amin, and Sudhanshu Trivedi from the BJP, M Thambidurai from AIADMK, and Sasmit Patra from BJD.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah, while discussing the Delhi Services Bill in Rajya Sabha, raised concerns over how the motion was signed, citing two members, Sasmit Patra and Sudhanshu Trivedi, stating that they had not signed the motion to be part of the select committee.

AAP sources emphasize that "The Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Council of States" do not mandate a requirement for written consent or signatures of proposed members for inclusion in the Select Committee. As per parliamentary convention, the Select Committee on a Bill includes members from all major political parties, irrespective of their affiliation with the ruling party or opposition.

The sources clarify that only the presumption of consent or inclination of a member to be part of the select committee is required, and no written consent or signature is necessary. The reference to the Select Committee is merely a proposal subject to acceptance or rejection by the house. In this case, the house rejected the reference, so there is no question of including the names of the complainants.

AAP sources state that the names of the complainant MPs were provided in good faith, assuming their interest in participating in the discussion concerning the bill. However, the rules permit the withdrawal of names if members have no intention of being part of the committee.

The Select Committee reflects the diversity of opinion among members of the house and is non-partisan, including representatives from all parties in the Rajya Sabha.

It is worth noting that the bill to replace the ordinance for the control of services in Delhi was passed in the Upper House after a division, with 131 MPs voting in favor of the legislation and 102 against it. 

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