CAG report row: Delhi assembly session extended; 21 AAP MLAs suspended

New Delhi: Delhi Assembly Speaker Vijender Gupta on Tuesday took the decision to suspend 21 AAP legislators for the next three sittings after they disrupted proceedings in the House. The suspension came as the Assembly extended its session by three days to discuss the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report on the excise policy.

The suspended legislators, including Leader of Opposition Atishi, were removed from the House by marshals after they started shouting slogans of "Jai Bhim" and demanded the restoration of photographs of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar and Shaheed Bhagat Singh in the office of Chief Minister Rekha Gupta. The Chief Minister, however, denied these allegations.

A notable exception was AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan from Okhla, who was not suspended as he was absent from the session on Tuesday.

Speaker Vijender Gupta later confirmed to reporters that the suspension of the 21 legislators would continue for the sittings on February 25, 27, and 28.

“Maintaining the honour of the House is our top priority. The AAP legislators adopted unethical behaviour when the LG was trying to follow his constitutional duty,” he said.

He said the CAG report on excise policy will be referred to the Public Accounts Committee after discussion by the members in the House.

He indicated that more CAG reports are likely to be tabled in the House whose session has been extended till March 3.

Taking part in the vote of thanks on the address of Lieutenant Governor V.K. Saxena, former Gandhi Nagar legislator and Delhi minister Arvinder Singh Lovely sought a special sitting of the House to discus the CAG report, calling it an “extraordinary situation that requires exposing corruption of the previous government”.

Lovely said in the normal course a CAG report is sent to the Public Accounts Committee but a special session is needed in this case.

Hitting out at the protest by AAP legislators, Lovely claimed, “They are trying to hide behind the photo of B.R. Ambedkar and Shaheed Bhagat Singh.”

“Did Bhagat Singh ever say that a government should indulge in liquor scam or school scam?” he asked, slamming the AAP government for disrespecting Dr Ambedkar by not following the constitutional practices mandated by him.

“The AAP government disrespected Ambedkar by quashing Question Hour from Delhi Assembly’s proceedings. They took away the democratic right of legislators to raise questions in public interest,” he said.

The day’s proceedings in the Assembly began with the LG’s address in which he promised to give Rs 2,500 every month to women in Delhi.

LG Saxena on Tuesday highlighted the ‘Viksit Delhi’ manifesto as the guiding principle of the new government which is committed to delivering a corruption-free administration. IANS