Delhi Assembly Speaker Expresses Anger Over AAP MLA's Absence During Power Sector Debate
Click to start listening
Synopsis
Delhi Assembly Speaker Vijender Gupta criticized the absence of Opposition members during a debate on power outages in the city, which they requested. He emphasized the importance of legislative attendance and expressed disappointment in their conduct, which undermines democratic values.
Key Takeaways
- Delhi Speaker criticizes Opposition for absence
- Discussion on power outages initiated by AAP MLA
- Speaker emphasizes respect for legislative procedures
- Power Minister counters allegations of increased outages
- Statistics presented on power cuts during AAP governance
New Delhi, April 1 (NationPress) Delhi Assembly Speaker Vijender Gupta on Tuesday condemned the lax attitude of Opposition members, evident from their nonattendance in the House when a discussion concerning the city's power challenges was initiated at their behest.
Expressing dissatisfaction over the disregard for legislative norms, the Speaker stated, “Today, Aam Aadmi Party MLA Kuldeep Kumar submitted a notice under Rule 54 regarding purported power outages affecting several regions of Delhi. This notice was acknowledged and included in the agenda for deliberation.”
“It was rather astonishing that when the issue was brought up for review in the House at 4:40 p.m., neither Kuldeep Kumar nor any representative from the Opposition was present. This behavior from the opposition was entirely irresponsible,” he remarked.
The House operates under legislative protocols and regulations, and it is improper for the entire Opposition to be absent during the discussion of a matter that was added to the agenda at their own request, voiced an irate Speaker.
“We uphold the democratic process. Hence, despite the absence of Kuldeep Kumar and other opposition members, the House continued with the discussion on the subject. Eight members expressed their views and condemned the actions of the Opposition,” he added, mentioning that Power Minister Ashish Sood delivered a comprehensive statement on the issue, backed by data.
“I am profoundly disappointed by the Opposition’s conduct. It demonstrates that they are not earnest about democratic principles and values. Opposition members frequently raise issues merely to attract media attention, but when it comes to actual discussions, they opt to exit the House,” stated Speaker Vijender Gupta.
Previously, Power Minister Sood rebutted claims made by AAP members that there has been an increase in power outages in the city since the BJP assumed power.
He provided statistics on the number of power cuts exceeding one hour that occurred during each of the past 10 years of AAP governance, concluding that under the previous administration, there were 75 power cuts lasting over an hour on a daily basis.
He noted that in 2015 there were 31,285 power cuts lasting more than one hour, in 2016 there were 37,799, in 2017 it was 35,201, in 2018 it was 33,486, in 2019 it was 26,588, in 2020 it was 23,100, in 2021 it was 21,005, in 2022 it was 22,987, in 2023 it was 22,061, and in 10 months of 2024 it was 18,300.
Sood urged Opposition AAP MLAs to refrain from propagating a false narrative regarding the decline of the power situation in the city.
