New Delhi, March 23 (NationPress) Members of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) gathered for a protest outside the Delhi Assembly on Monday, labeling it a “funeral procession of democracy” in response to the suspension of their party legislators. They accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of attempting to silence the opposition's voice.

Atishi, the Leader of Opposition, asserted that the BJP government is working to suppress democratic discourse in the Assembly by suspending members of the opposition and blocking them from discussing vital public concerns.

“The BJP is determined to destroy democracy. Today, we stand here outside the Delhi Assembly, which serves as a temple of democracy where both the ruling party and opposition should express their viewpoints on behalf of the people,” Atishi told IANS.

She emphasized that the opposition has been denied the opportunity to speak in the House, labeling the suspension of AAP MLAs as a direct attack on democratic values.

“When the voice of the opposition is stifled and MLAs are expelled from the Assembly for merely advocating for the people's interests, it signifies the death of democracy,” she expressed.

Atishi mentioned that the AAP legislative group is protesting against the BJP's efforts to silence dissent within the Assembly. She called on the ruling party to lift the suspension of the AAP legislators.

“We urge the BJP to permit our suspended MLAs to rejoin the Assembly. If not, none of our AAP MLAs will participate in the session,” she stated.

AAP MLA Imran Hussain also condemned the suspension of party members, arguing that it undermines the democratic process within the House.

“Four MLAs from our party have been suspended. If discussions on the budget are taking place while excluding opposition members and not rescinding their suspension, it amounts to nothing less than the murder of democracy,” Hussain remarked.

The AAP further expressed their discontent on social media, criticizing the BJP and branding its governance in Delhi as “dictatorial.”

In another statement, Atishi accused the police of being used to obstruct their protest. “A dictatorship supported by the police will not be accepted. Today, when the Aam Aadmi Party stood against the BJP's authoritarianism, the Delhi Police erected barricades on our path,” she noted on platform X.

She reiterated that the party will persist in its fight to defend democratic institutions and to expose what they perceive as the BJP’s authoritarian practices.

Notably, four AAP MLAs were suspended during the Winter Session in January for allegedly “disrupting” House proceedings. Their suspension remains in effect as the last session of the House was not prorogued.