In what could as properly be the script of a historic documentary on an OTT platform – or extra doubtless political satire – the Delhi Meeting on Tuesday discovered itself wrapped in an unusually spirited debate: was a piece of its century-old constructing as soon as a gallows chamber for hanging freedom fighters, or just a rope-operated raise room meant to ship tiffins?
The weird dialogue unfolded on Tuesday as members throughout celebration strains provided clashing variations of historical past, invoked AI instruments like ChatGPT for validation, and accused one another of rewriting the colonial previous – all whereas a British parliamentary delegation led by Home of Commons deputy speaker Nusrat Ghani watched on from the guests’ gallery.
Speaker Vijender Gupta set the tone early within the day by questioning the historic accuracy of the “fansi ghar” (gallows room) that was inaugurated with a lot fanfare by former chief minister Arvind Kejriwal after which speaker Ram Niwas Goel three years in the past. The area was unveiled on August 9, 2022, to commemorate 75 years of Indian Independence and was devoted to “unknown martyrs who had been hanged right here”, in response to the plaque put in there.
“There isn’t a historical past of any such area. There was by no means an execution room right here,” Speaker Gupta instructed the Home. “We went by way of nationwide archives, consulted consultants, and what has been offered as gallows is definitely a raise room. A rope-operated raise used to deliver up tiffin packing containers for members. There are two such raise shafts within the constructing – one on all sides.”
He added, “It’s being proven to international delegates as a gallows room. One should marvel – is that this a fansi ghar or a lunchbox supply system?”
The part in query was revamped in 2022 right into a memorial area unfold throughout two flooring. It options murals of Bhagat Singh, Rajguru, and Sukhdev, a symbolic hanging rope, red-brick-style heritage partitions, and glass partitions. There’s a plaque crediting then CM Kejriwal and speaker Goel, and a memorial board that claims: “Innumerable unknown freedom fighters have been hanged right here.”
The higher flooring exhibits a pulley mechanism, and the bottom flooring has a wood platform beneath the shaft, additional fuelling the symbolic interpretation.
‘Elevate not a noose’
However the BJP, which controls the Meeting, mentioned fiction was dressed up as patriotism. The celebration’s chief whip Abhay Kumar Verma mentioned, “Within the 2020-25 meeting interval, the previous speaker mentioned that they discovered gallows. He additionally mentioned that there was a tunnel which went from meeting to Crimson Fort… however maps from 1911 present that this was merely a tiffin room. It used a rope and pulley to ship meals. No hangings occurred right here. An identical construction exists symmetrically on the opposite facet of the constructing.”
He mentioned that different components of the Meeting additionally had clearly outlined makes use of on file – the present speaker’s workplace was as soon as a library, and the deputy speaker’s room was earlier marked because the Viceroy’s room. “They even had a smoking room. Each half is documented. This so-called gallows was by no means meant for executions. It was only a tiffin room.”
PWD minister Parvesh Verma went one step additional, saying: “With none inquiry, they named it phansi ghar. They discovered some ropes and outdated footwear – which in all probability belonged to building staff. They misled the general public. We’ll now painting the location because it really was.”
Later within the day, Verma visited the location and mentioned the supplies positioned there can be eliminated and corrected to mirror the correct historic context.
ChatGPT weighs in
In yet one more twist, ChatGPT additionally entered the talk.
Aam Aadmi Get together (AAP) MLA Jarnail Singh mentioned the AI device “confirmed” the AAP’s model. “In entrance of the British delegation, the black deeds and crimes of colonial guidelines are being whitewashed. I requested ChatGPT if there was an execution room within the advanced. It clearly says that one room used a gallows room,” Singh mentioned.
BJP’s Karnail Singh responded with deadpan sarcasm, “Even ChatGPT is developed by the West. In fact, it can say that.”
Verma then mentioned he requested ChatGPT a distinct query: “who first claimed there was a fansi ghar”; and mentioned the chatbot pointed to former Speaker Goel.
Speaker Gupta interjected, clarifying that “ChatGPT just isn’t a dependable supply — it collects knowledge already on the web, together with false claims. That’s not proof.”
The speaker additionally dismissed earlier claims of a tunnel connecting the Meeting to the Crimson Fort, saying that such options had been in all probability underground air flow ducts, frequent in colonial-era structure.
Then, BJP MLA Kulwant Rana gave it a mystical twist. “If that’s the case many hangings occurred right here, there have to be ghosts too! They’ve turned this place right into a bhoot ghar (home of ghosts),” he mentioned to laughter within the Home.
AAP responds cautiously
AAP MLAs, on the backfoot, pushed for due course of. MLA Virender Kadian mentioned, “There will need to have been some paperwork or justification behind this determination. If there was a mistake, we are able to rectify it. However don’t goal people with out proof. The previous speaker isn’t even right here to defend himself.”
Chief of the opposition and former Delhi CM Atishi responded by stating that “Delhi has a lot of issues however such issues had been being mentioned.”
In an announcement, Atishi mentioned: “What’s the level of dialogue within the Meeting at this time? Operating a session of the Delhi Meeting prices lakhs of rupees each hour. That is the hard-earned cash of Delhi’s folks—of taxpayers—cash we earn by way of our labour and provides to the federal government. And but, you received’t permit a dialogue on jhuggis, on faculties, on the scarcity of medicines in hospitals, or the worsening legislation and order state of affairs. As an alternative, the one factor BJP desires to speak about is ‘hanging room’? Is that what this Meeting has been diminished to? They simply wish to waste the Home’s valuable time.”
Speaker Gupta clarified that his remarks had been aimed toward correcting public misinformation, not people: “We respect the previous speaker. This was a authorities determination. CM Kejriwal inaugurated it. But it surely’s time to overview the details. I direct AAP MLAs to current their paperwork tomorrow.”
The Delhi Meeting constructing, constructed in 1912, initially hosted the Imperial Legislative Council. The Rowlatt Act of 1919 – a legislation that allowed detention with out trial – was handed right here. Leaders like Motilal Nehru, Lala Lajpat Rai, Gopal Krishna Gokhale, and Madan Mohan Malaviya debated in its chambers. Mahatma Gandhi visited twice to look at classes. It remained a key legislative venue till the Parliament Home was inaugurated in 1927.
The disputed room lies within the coronary heart of this historic construction — a constructing that has seen legal guidelines written, freedoms debated, and now, debates over tiffin packing containers and nooses.
