Suspended AAP MLAs Stopped From Entering Delhi Assembly Premises; Atishi Slams BJP Government

A total of 21 AAP MLAs were suspended for three days for creating a ruckus during LG VK Saxena's address in the Delhi Assembly.

New Delhi: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLAs got furious after they were stopped from entering the Delhi Assembly premises on Thursday. Along with AAP MLA Sanjeev Jha, the other party legislators also raised a question on whose orders they were being stopped.

On Tuesday, Delhi Assembly Speaker Vijender Gupta ordered a three-day suspension of the 21 AAP MLAs for creating a ruckus during the address of Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena in the House.

When LG Saxena was supposed to start his address, the first after the formation of the BJP government in the national capital, all the MLAs of AAP, who were present in the House, started protesting against the removal of the picture of freedom fighter Bhagat Singh and Dr Baba Saheb Ambedkar from the Chief Minister's office.

Several AAP MLAs also raised slogans of 'Jai Bhim'. Amid this ruckus, the LG gave his speech. Due to this, Delhi Minister, Pravesh Verma, brought a proposal for strict action against these MLAs. On which other members also put forward their views, and the Assembly Speaker ordered to suspend 21 AAP MLAs for three days.

After this order, when some MLAs reached the Assembly on Thursday, the security personnel stopped them from entering. In this matter, the Leader of Opposition in the Assembly, Atishi, said that the Speaker of the Assembly himself was violating the privilege. "The BJP people have crossed the limits of dictatorship after coming to power," she added.

Recently, Rekha Gupta was sworn in as the Delhi Chief Minister after the saffron party came to power in the national capital by winning 48 seats. The AAP, which ruled Delhi, for over a decade, managed to win only 22 seats in the 70-member House.

Atishi also penned a letter to President Droupadi Murmu and sought time to meet immediately. In a strong worded letter, Atishi, the former Delhi Chief Minister, said that stopping MLAs outside the Assembly was "undemocratic".

She has further written that the BJP government in Delhi have removed the pictures of Bhagat Singh and Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar from different government offices.

"It is not only an insult to the national personalities but it is an insult of Dalit and backward classes. When the Opposition Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) opposed this in the Delhi Assembly, Speaker Vijender Gupta, in an undemocratic manner expelled 21 AAP MLAs," Atishi wrote in the letter.

"Today, on February 27, when the AAP MLAs were going to the Assembly, they were stopped by Delhi Police. This is a murder of democracy. And so the MLAs had to protest on the road, this is the first time in the history of the country that the MLAs have been denied. This is a black-spot in democracy. If the opposition is stopped in this manner, who will raise the voice of people. Democracy needs both ruling parties and opposition parties. It is done to suppress the Opposition," Atishi added.

Vijender Gupta, on his part said, "Whatever happened during the LG address was unfortunate. Constitutional provisions were violated and the action that has been taken, is as per the law."

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