The Delhi Assembly witnessed high drama on Wednesday (August 6, 2025) as the BJP and AAP sparred over the so-called British-era “phansi ghar” (execution room) on its premises, leading to the marshalling out of Leader of Opposition Atishi and other MLAs of the opposition party amid noisy protests.

Speaker Vijender Gupta told the House that the structure, which was renovated and inaugurated in 2022 by then Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal as a “phansi ghar”, was actually a “tiffin room” as per records. Displaying a 1912 map of the Assembly complex, he said there was no documentation or evidence indicating that the space was used for executions.

Chief Minister Rekha Gupta weighed in, accusing the previous AAP government of misleading the public.

I do not agree with Minister Sirsa for calling Kejriwal a fool. He was brilliant; he knew how to play with people’s sentiments. His large shirt, muffler, small car, pen worth two rupees, and even his cough, everything had a purpose. He believed he was the heir to Bhagat Singh’s legacy,” she said.

The Chief Minister said she had visited the so-called “phansi ghar” and found the claims baseless.

“The space is so narrow that a person would cling to the pillar and refuse to be hanged. No evidence or document has been presented by the opposition to support their claim.