New Delhi: The Delhi Assembly Tuesday suspended 21 AAP MLAs, including Leader of Opposition Atishi, for three days for disrupting Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena’s inaugural address to the newly constituted House.
The proposal for their suspension was moved by Delhi Public Works Department (PWD) Minister Parvesh Verma and passed through a voice vote in the House. The suspended MLAs will not be allowed to participate in the assembly proceedings on February 27 and 28.
As the House proceedings began on Tuesday, Atishi along with other AAP legislators protested against the alleged removal of B R Ambedkar’s portrait from the chief minister’s office. The AAP MLAs accused the BJP-led government of disrespecting Ambedkar and raised slogans against the move.
Speaker Vijender Gupta expressed disappointment over the disruptions, saying, “When the assembly session began, we hoped that both the ruling party and the opposition would work together for development, as today’s discussion was very important.”
With the AAP having 22 MLAs in the Delhi Assembly, all but Okhla MLA Amantullah Khan have been suspended. Khan was absent from the House.
Following their suspension, the 21 MLAs staged a protest inside the assembly complex, holding Ambedkar’s portraits and chanting slogans such as “Babasaheb ka ye apmaan nahi sahega Hindustan (India will not tolerate this insult to Babasaheb)” and “Jai Bhim.”
“The BJP has shown its true colours by removing Babasaheb Ambedkar’s portrait. Does it believe (PM Narendra) Modi can replace Babasaheb?” Atishi posed at a press conference.
AAP also alleged that Ambedkar’s portraits had been removed from both the chief minister’s office at the Delhi Secretariat and the Assembly premises.
Speaker Gupta has adjourned the assembly session until 11 am on February 27.
Commenting on the AAP MLAs’ suspension, Delhi minister Ravinder Indraj Singh said, “This is not a protest. These AAP leaders are scared… They are trying to create unrest in the assembly instead of resigning. They are trying to hide something.”
Singh’s Cabinet colleague Ashish Sood alleged that AAP was attempting to divert attention from corruption during its term in office. “Whenever AAP tries to create a ruckus, it is to cover up its corruption. The CAG (Comptroller and Auditor General) report will expose its wrongdoings.”
On Monday, AAP alleged that portraits of Ambedkar and Bhagat Singh were removed from Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta’s office. However, the BJP accused AAP of trying to distract people from the CAG reports to be tabled in the assembly.
The BJP shared photographs of the chief minister’s office, saying, “The portraits of Mahatma Gandhi, Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar, Bhagat Singh, the president, and the prime minister are displayed in the offices of Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and other ministers.”
