‘Tiffin room or phansi ghar’: BJP, AAP spar over controversy in Delhi assembly

Members of the ruling party and the Opposition sparred in the Delhi Assembly on Tuesday after Speaker Vijender Gupta said the much-hyped “phansi-ghar”, inaugurated by the former chief minister Arvind Kejriwal in 2022, was actually a “tiffin room”.

Citing a map of 2011, Gupta clarified that when the Delhi Assembly building was constructed, there was no tunnel connecting the premises to the Red Fort.

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The ruling party sought an apology from the former CM for allegedly misleading the House while AAP MLAs advised Speaker Gupta to focus on more pressing issues confronting Delhi.

A delegation from the British Parliament was also present at the assembly during the session as the treasury and Opposition benches were locked in a heated exchange, witnessing chaotic scenes.

Addressing the house, Gupta pointed out that the map highlighted the historic significance of the Assembly building, revealing that the Speaker’s room was once a library for members and the deputy speaker’s room was the Viceroy’s chamber. The map also indicated the presence of a smoking room in old times, he said.

He criticised the AAP government for misrepresenting the tiffin room as a “phansi-ghar” during its inauguration on August 9, 2022, a day marking the anniversary of the Quit India Movement. “A meeting was conducted with the historians, who revealed that the gallows claim was unfounded and that the structure was indeed a tiffin room and a lift. The National Archives documents provided to us also proved this,” Gupta mentioned.

“The claim of a tunnel running from the Assembly to Lal Qila was also incorrect,” he said, adding, “Historians said in old times such buildings used to have underground ventilation ducts. Such a space is also there in the old Parliament House.”

Clarifying the claims about the alleged gallows, BJP MLA and Chief Whip Abhay Verma said it was, in fact, a rope-operated lift system linked to a room that served as a “tiffin room”.

The ruling party’s MLAs also demanded that Arvind Kejriwal tender an apology for “misleading” people with “false claims” and “distorting” history.

Further, during the session, Gupta asked the Opposition AAP members to clarify their stand on the subject. Opposition party MLA Jarnail Singh, alleging that the BJP was trying to “distort” history, sought to defend the claim about the presence of gallows on the Assembly premises by citing ChatGPT.

Atishi, as the leader of the Opposition, argued that the House should prioritise discussing the pressing issues confronting the people of the national capital rather than debating the “Phansi Ghar” controversy.