‘What kind of joke is this?’ Sanjay Singh slams govt’s choice of global ‘friendship group’ after passport seized India News

New Delhi: Aaam Aadmi Party leader Sanjay Singh has lashed out at the government over the Congress’ global outreach programme, in which he has also been appointed as the leader of South American country Suriname. When his passport was seized, he called the decision “a joke.” ‘Are you kidding me? The government seized my passport and now makes me head of the Suriname Friendship Group,” he said. Lok Sabha Speaker OM Birla has formed multiple parliamentary friendship groups, including with more than 60 countries, to promote “inter-parliamentary engagement between India and the world”, the Lok Sabha secretariat announced on Monday. Apart from Sanjay Singh, cross-party leaders have also been nominated including Shashi Tharoor (Congress), Akhilesh Yadav (SP) and Asaduddin Owaisi (AIMIM).Read more: Om Birla establishes ‘Parliamentary Friendship Group’ with more than 60 countriesSanjay Singh’s passport was seized in early 2024 as part of his bail conditions after a Delhi court directed him to submit it and not tamper with evidence in charges in the Delhi excise policy case. The order also included a security of Rs 2 lakh and notification to the investigating officer before leaving NCR.The AAP Rajya Sabha MP was arrested in 2023 in an alleged money laundering case related to the Delhi excise tax scam.