Sanjay Singh (AAP politician) explained

Birth Date:22 March 1972
Birth Place:Sultanpur, Uttar Pradesh, India
Nationality:Indian
Education:Diploma in Mining Engineering
Profession:Politician
Otherparty:Samajwadi Party (until 2007)
Spouse:Anita Singh
Children:2
Office:Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha
Term Start:28 January 2018
Predecessor:Karan Singh
President:
1Blankname:Chairman of the House
1Namedata:

Sanjay Singh (born 22 March 1972) is an Indian politician, activist, national spokesman for Aam Aadmi Party, a member of the Rajya Sabha from Delhi. He was convicted in a 2001 protest case and was later given bail.[1] In October 2023, he was arrested by Enforcement Directorate for his role in the Delhi Liquor Scam. After 6 months of custody, he was released on bail by Supreme Court.[2]

He was active with Arvind Kejriwal in his campaigns from the Right To Information campaign in 2006 to the 2011 Indian anti-corruption movement led by social activist Anna Hazare.

Career

Activism

He formed the Azad Samaj Seva Samiti in Lucknow in 1994. He claims to have worked towards providing employment opportunities to the poor.

He has been a fellow companion of socialist leader Raghu Thakur of the Democratic Socialist Party and participated in various welfare and socialist conferences and movements along with him. Singh also proffered his services for disaster relief operations in Gujarat, Uttarakhand, Jammu and Kashmir, Tamil Nadu and Nepal.

Aam Aadmi Party

Singh is a founder member of Aam Aadmi Party. During Delhi 2020 elections he was made the campaign in-charge along with Pankaj Gupta who was made the campaign director.[3]

Career as MP

In January 2018, Singh was elected as a Member of Parliament in Rajya Sabha from Delhi.[4]

His career as an MP has been marked with several controversies often due to his penchant for creating a nuisance or due to his convictions and court cases. On the passing of the 2020 Indian agriculture acts in the Rajya Sabha, Sanjay Singh along with seven other members were suspended from the Rajya Sabha for their unruly behavior in the house for tearing documents, breaking mics and heckling the Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha.[5] [6] Three years later, in 2023, he was again suspended from Rajya Sabha for entire monsoon session by Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar due to 'repeatedly violating the directions of the chair'.[7]

Singh raised concerns related to child deaths, child trafficking, stringent punishments for sexual abuse of children amongst others in parliament. He was felicitated with the PGC Award by UNICEF India in 2020 for his efforts.[8]

Singh was elected again as a Member of Parliament in January 2024.[9]

Cases

In 2016, he accused Bikram Singh Majithia, the then Revenue Minister for Punjab, for being a "drug dealer".[10] In turn, Majithia filed a defamation suit against him, Arvind Kejriwal and Ashish Khetan.[11] Later, AAP president Arvind Kejriwal apologised to Majithia for his party's slander against him.[12] As of 2022, Singh admitted in the court that he stands by his statement.

In 2019, he received a notice from Ahmedabad Court for his allegations during the Rafale deal controversy.[13] In 2017, Singh was slapped by a woman worker of the AAP as the party did not allow her to raise a voice against corruption during ticket distribution.[14]

In January 2023, a special court in Sultanpur of Uttar Pradesh convicted him and sentenced 3 months of jail term in a 2001 case. He is currently out on bail.[15]

Delhi Liquor Scam

See main article: article and Delhi liquor scam. He is also an accomplice in the Delhi Liquor scam alongside Manish Sisodia and Arvind Kejriwal. He has been named in the chargesheet filed by ED in the court.[16] In October 2023, he was arrested by the ED for the scam, was lodged in Tihar Jail and was given a bail in April 2024.[17]

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: AAP MP Sanjay Singh convicted in 2001 protest case, later granted bail . 14 June 2024 . The Indian Express . Express News Service . January 12, 2023.
  2. Web site: Livemint . 2024-04-02 . Sanjay Singh bail: SC slams ED, 'Nothing has been recovered…' . 2024-05-17 . mint . en.
  3. Web site: 2019-09-26 . AAP appoints Sanjay Singh in-charge for Delhi assembly polls, Pankaj Gupta is campaign director . 2021-06-17 . The Indian Express . en.
  4. News: Rajya Sabha: AAP makes an entry into Rajya Sabha with three MPS | India News - Times of India . The Times of India . 8 January 2018 .
  5. Web site: 21 September 2020 . Derek O'Brien, 7 other Opposition MPS suspended over Rajya Sabha ruckus on farm bills .
  6. Web site: Motion seeking suspension of MPS, who intimidated deputy chair Harivansh, likely in Rajya Sabha tomorrow .
  7. Web site: 2023-07-24 . AAP MP Sanjay Singh suspended from Rajya Sabha for entire monsoon session . 2024-05-17 . mint . en.
  8. Web site: 9 MPs receive awards for their role in Parliament in advancing child rights: UNICEF.
  9. Web site: 2024-03-19 . Jailed AAP leader Sanjay Singh takes oath as Rajya Sabha MP for 2nd term . 2024-05-17 . The Indian Express . en.
  10. Web site: 2022-11-01 . Defamation case: AAP MP Sanjay Singh says he stands by statement against Majithia . 2024-05-17 . The Indian Express . en.
  11. News: Majithia files defamation suit against Kejriwal, two others .
  12. Web site: 15 March 2018 . Kejriwal Apologises to Bikram Majithia as Defamation Cases Take a Toll on AAP, Arun Jaitley Next? .
  13. Web site: 2018-10-17 . AAP leader Sanjay Singh receives court notice in a defamation case over his allegations in Rafale deal . 2024-05-17 . The Indian Express . en.
  14. Web site: AAP's Sanjay Singh Slapped By Woman Party Worker During Roadshow . 2024-05-17 . NDTV.com.
  15. Web site: AAP MP Sanjay Singh Gets 3 Months In Jail Over 2001 Protest In UP Town . 2023-01-24 . NDTV.com.
  16. Web site: 2022-12-21 . AAP's Sisodia and Sanjay Singh, KCR daughter named in ED chargesheet in liquor policy case . 2024-05-17 . The Indian Express . en.
  17. Web site: 2023-10-05 . AAP MP Sanjay Singh walks out of jail, says time to give a reply to BJP . 2024-04-03 . The Tribune . en.