‘Phansi Ghar’ in Delhi Assembly: Panel seeks comments from Kejriwal, Sisodia, two others

The existence of the ‘Phansi Ghar’ and a tunnel connecting the Assembly to the Red Fort were hotly debated during the Assembly sittings held on August 5, 6 and 7.

On August 7, the House referred the matter to the Committee of Privileges for examination. The panel is now seeking written responses from the four leaders, which are to be submitted to the Secretariat by September 19 for consideration, sources said.

The Indian Express previously reported that experts think it is very unlikely that the Delhi Assembly had a room on the premises where prisoners were executed during the British era.

Built in 1912, the Delhi Assembly premises was originally meant to house the Imperial Legislative Council. Designed by British architect E Montague Thomas and constructed under the supervision of contractor Faqir Chand, it was completed in just eight months. It later served as the Central Legislative Assembly after 1919.

Goel had earlier stood by his claims about the ‘Phansi Ghar’ and tunnel and claimed he had asked the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) thrice to examine the structures, but to no avail.

“Vijender Gupta, the current Speaker, was then Leader of Opposition. Why did he not question it then?…” Goel had said, adding that the building was used as a court between 1926, when the Parliament was shifted to the old Lok Sabha building, and 1947.

Gupta had said, “There is no history of any such space. There was never an execution room here.” These rooms, he had said, were in fact designed to deliver tiffin boxes to members and formed part of the original building plan.

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