Row over teachers' sending abroad: Kejriwal marches to LG's house

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, along with a group of BJP MLAs set out a march to Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena's residence state Assembly's adjournment over the issue of interference with the Delhi government's decision to send state school teachers to Finland for training.

New Delhi: A group of Aam Aadmi Party MLAs led by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal set out a march to Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena's residence on Monday morning soon after the state Assembly was adjourned for the day following an argument accusing Saxena of allegedly interfering with Delhi government's decision to send state school teachers to Finland for training.

The Delhi assembly saw a heated argument between BJP and AAP MLAs after the AAP legislator Saurabh Bhardwaj pointed out the issue of interference in the 'Delhi government's decisions' by the BJP, deeming it as illegal and unwanted. The argument escalated and Kejriwal lashed out at Saxena alleging his interference in his government's functioning.

The three-day session of the assembly saw repeated adjournments on the first day, with hardly 10 minutes of proceedings conducted. Before the session, the opposition BJP MLAs carried out a protest with oxygen cylinders showing disappointment towards Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government's alleged inaction to curb air pollution amid the worsening climate scenario in the national capital.

Speaker Ram Niwas Goel, objecting to the protest, asked how the BJP members were allowed to carry the cylinders into the House despite the security. Taking cognizance of the "lapse" and noting that the cylinders could be used to injure someone, he summoned security personnel to his chamber over the issue.

Even as the protest by BJP members refused to die down, he said, "Please have some shame. I urge members to maintain peace." Later, after a war of words broke out between BJP and members of the ruling AAP over "illegal and unwanted obstructions and interferences" by the lieutenant governor (L-G), Goel adjourned proceedings for 10 minutes.

AAP legislator Saurabh Bhardwaj initiated the discussion by calling attention motion on the issue of "illegal and unwanted obstructions and interferences in the education of children and training of teachers". Leader of Opposition in the Delhi Assembly Ramvir Singh Bidhuri expressed opposition on this issue and defended the LG.

Speaker Goel accused Bidhuri of trying to be the LG's spokesperson, following which AAP MLAs came into the well of the House. After the House reconvened after the brief adjournment, AAP MLAs again started raising slogans against the LG over his "objections" to sending Delhi government teachers for a training program to Finland, following which the speaker again adjourned the House for half an hour. Subsequently, the House was adjourned for the day.