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Delhi Assembly Speaker Declares 2022 'Faansi Ghar' Fake, Orders Probe

Delhi Assembly Speaker Declares 2022 'Faansi Ghar' Fake, Orders Probe

New Delhi: Delhi Legislative Assembly Speaker Vijender Gupta on Thursday said the "Faansi Ghar" (gallows) installed in the Assembly complex in 2022 was historically inaccurate and ordered its removal.
The decision follows a review of archival records and consultations with historians, which found no evidence of gallows ever existing on the premises.
The structure was built by the previous Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in August 2022, coinciding with the Quit India Movement anniversary.
At the time it was claimed to be a historical site linked to freedom fighters. However, Gupta said authenticated documents from the National Archives of India, the Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR), Delhi University, JNU, and other institutions confirmed no such gallows existed.
The Speaker noted that the Opposition (AAP) was given three days to provide evidence supporting the structure's historical basis but failed to do so. He termed the installation a "deliberate misrepresentation" and announced the following steps:
1. The Assembly building will be restored to its original heritage design.
2. Historical maps from 1912 will be displayed in the disputed rooms to prevent future misinformation.
3. The foundation stone plaque, bearing names of then-Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Deputy CM Manish Sisodia, will be removed.
Gupta also referred the matter to the Privileges Committee, summoning Kejriwal, then-Speaker Ram Niwas Goel, Sisodia, and then-Deputy Speaker Rakhi Birla for questioning.
The AAP has yet to respond to the allegations. The controversy has reignited debates over historical narratives and political symbolism in Delhi's governance.
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