‘What kind of joke is this?’ Sanjay Singh slams govt over global 'Friendship Group' pick after passport seizure

NEW DELHI: Aaam Aadmi Party leader Sanjay Singh slammed the govt over Parliament's global outreach program, in which he's also named as a leader for Suriname, a country in South America. He called the decision "a joke" as his passport his seized. 'What kind of joke is this? Govt has seized my passport and now made me head of the friendship group for Suriname," he said. Several Parliamentary Friendship Groups were constituted by Lok Sabha Speaker OM Birla, including outreach to over 60 countries, in a move to boost "India’s inter- parliamentary engagement with the world", according to the Lok Sabha secretariat's announcement on Monday. In addition to Sanjay Singh, leaders across party lines have been named, including Shashi Tharoor (Congress), Akhilesh Yadav (SP), and Asaduddin Owaisi (AIMIM).Read more: Om Birla sets up 'Parliamentary Friendship Groups' with over 60 nationsSanjay Singh’s passport had been seized earlier in 2024, as part of bail conditions, after a Delhi court directed him to submit it and not tamper with evidence in the allegations around the Delhi excise policy case. The directives also included a Rs 2 lakh surety and informing the investigating officer before leaving the NCR.The AAP Rajya Sabha MP was arrested in 2023 in connection with a money laundering case related to the alleged Delhi excise scam.