Delhi Assembly Session Extended to March 3 for CAG Report Discussions; 21 AAP MLAs Facing Suspension
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Synopsis
On February 25, 21 AAP legislators were suspended by Delhi Assembly Speaker Vijender Gupta for three sessions due to disruptions. The assembly session has been extended until March 3 to discuss the CAG report on the excise policy.
Key Takeaways
- 21 AAP MLAs suspended from proceedings.
- Assembly session extended until March 3.
- Discussion on CAG report regarding excise policy.
- Speaker Gupta emphasizes maintaining the dignity of the House.
- Calls for special session to expose previous government’s corruption.
New Delhi, Feb 25 (NationPress) - On Tuesday, Delhi Assembly Speaker Vijender Gupta announced the suspension of 21 AAP legislators from participating in the proceedings for the next three sessions. This decision comes as the assembly session has been extended for an additional three days to deliberate on the CAG report concerning the excise policy submitted in the House.
The suspended AAP lawmakers, which include Leader of Opposition Atishi, were removed from the House for disrupting the proceedings by chanting slogans like “Jai Bhim” and demanding the reinstatement of portraits of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar and Shaheed Bhagat Singh in Chief Minister Rekha Gupta's office, a claim that the Chief Minister has refuted.
Notably, Amanatullah Khan, the AAP MLA from Okhla, was the only member not suspended among the 22 MLAs, as he was absent from the House on that day.
Subsequently, Speaker Gupta informed the press that the suspensions would be valid on February 25, 27, and 28.
“Upholding the dignity of the House is our utmost concern. The behavior of AAP legislators was inappropriate while the LG was performing his constitutional responsibilities,” he stated.
He also mentioned that the CAG report regarding the excise policy would be forwarded to the Public Accounts Committee following discussions among members in the House.
Furthermore, he hinted that additional CAG reports might be presented in the assembly, which has now been extended until March 3.
During the vote of thanks on the address by Lieutenant Governor V.K. Saxena, former Gandhi Nagar legislator and Delhi minister Arvinder Singh Lovely advocated for a special session to address the CAG report, describing it as an “unusual situation requiring the exposure of corruption from the prior government.”
Lovely pointed out that typically, a CAG report is directed to the Public Accounts Committee, but a special session is warranted in this instance.
Criticizing the protests staged by AAP legislators, Lovely asserted, “They are attempting to use the photos of B.R. Ambedkar and Shaheed Bhagat Singh as a shield.”
“Did Bhagat Singh ever advocate for a government to engage in a liquor or school scam?” he questioned, condemning the AAP government for failing to honor Dr. Ambedkar by disregarding the constitutional practices he endorsed.
“The AAP government disrespected Ambedkar by eliminating the Question Hour from the proceedings of the Delhi Assembly. They deprived legislators of their democratic right to raise public interest questions,” he said.
The day’s assembly proceedings commenced with the LG’s address, promising a monthly distribution of Rs 2,500 to women in Delhi.
On Tuesday, LG Saxena emphasized the ‘Viksit Delhi’ manifesto as the foundational principle of the newly formed government, which is dedicated to establishing a corruption-free administration.
