Sanjay Singh Not Allowed To Take Oath As Rajya Sabha MP; Saurabh Bhardwaj Terms It Unconstitutional

Sanjay Singh was arrested on October 4, 2023, by the ED in the Delhi Excise Policy case and was charge-sheeted subsequently.

In a setback for the Aam Aadmi Party leader Sanjay Singh, he was not allowed to take oath today as the Rajya Sabha MP after Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar did not permit the same. Singh is facing an Enforcement Directorate probe in the alleged Delhi Excise Policy case. Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar said that the matter is currently with the Privileges Committee.

Singh was arrested on October 4, 2023, by the ED in the Delhi Excise Policy case and was charge-sheeted subsequently. However, Rouse Avenue had allowed Singh to take oath as MP Rajya Sabha in custody. The court also extended the judicial custody of Sanjay Singh till February 17. 

Earlier, Singh had moved a plea seeking interim bail to attend the ongoing Parliament session and to take the oath. However, since the court allowed him to take oath in custody, he withdrew his plea. Singh was earlier granted permission to file his election nomination and to collect his membership certificate from the returning officer.

Singh's bail application is pending before the High Court. A bench of Justice Swarna Kanta Sharma, after hearing the arguments made by both sides, had reserved the order. ED has alleged that Singh was involved in creating a special purpose vehicle to launder the proceeds of crime that would have been generated from the business arising out of the policy changes as conspired by him and his co-conspirators.

Sanjay Singh was then involved in acquiring, possessing, concealing, dissipating and using proceeds of crime generated from the Delhi Liquor Scam during the policy period of 2021-22, said ED.

Meanwhile, Delhi Minister Saurabh Bhardwaj accused Rajya Sabha chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar of acting against the provisions of the Constitution after he did not allow Sanjay Singh to take oath as an MP. "I think the Chairman of Rajya Sabha is going against the constitutional provisions of this country. Article 99 says that every member shall take the oath. This matter of privileges was related to his membership, which has already expired....You cannot deny him an oath in his new term...I think they are just politicizing it," said Saurabh Bhardwaj.