After several days of sustained discussion in this House, supported by verified facts and documents, it has been conclusively established that crores of rupees were spent on constructing a fake gallows and disseminating misleading advertisements within the Delhi Legislative Assembly complex.
The Opposition, which was the ruling party at the time this misrepresentation occurred, was requested by the House to present any concrete evidence justifying the construction of such a structure. However, despite being given three days, they failed to provide any logical or factual justification. Their continued silence has further strengthened the conclusion that this was a deliberate and fraudulent act.
In contrast, authenticated documents received from the National Archives of India—including a 1912 map of the Assembly premises—along with research conducted by various esteemed institutions such as the Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR), Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA), historians from Delhi University and JNU, the MCD Heritage Cell, Delhi Archives, and other independent historians, have collectively confirmed that no gallows ever existed in this building, nor was there any tunnel leading from the Assembly premises to the Red Fort, as falsely claimed.
When the so-called gallows was constructed in 2022, coinciding with the commemoration of the Quit India Movement on 9 August, my own emotions—along with those of fellow opposition members—were stirred with patriotic sentiment. However, after assuming the office of Speaker, and upon receiving verified documents from credible research institutions and national archives, it became painfully clear that this so-called gallows was a complete fabrication.
This revelation deeply hurt my sentiments. I felt deceived. Like me, thousands—perhaps millions—of citizens who had believed this false narrative now feel betrayed and misled.
Therefore, in line with the Sense of the House, the following decisions are hereby declared:
1. The heritage structure of the Delhi Legislative Assembly building shall be restored to its original form.
2. In both of the rooms (originally designated as tiffin rooms), the 1912 architectural map of the Assembly building shall be prominently displayed to ensure that no one can ever again distort or undermine the historical dignity of this institution.
3. The foundation stone plaque, installed on 9 August 2022 to mark the inauguration of this fake gallows—bearing the names of the then Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia—shall be removed immediately.
Tampering with a heritage building, misrepresenting a historical structure as a gallows or a tunnel, and attempting to falsify history constitute an unforgivable crime against the truth. This House, in the strongest possible terms, condemns this grave act of distortion and deceit.
In view of the seriousness of this matter, I am hereby referring the entire issue to the Privileges Committee of the House for an in-depth investigation. The Committee shall summon the following individuals:
• Arvind Kejriwal, then Chief Minister
• Ram Niwas Goel, then Speaker of the Assembly
• Manish Sisodia, then Deputy Chief Minister
• Rakhi Birla, then Deputy SpeakerAll of them were present at and oversaw the inauguration of this so-called gallows on 9 August 2022.
