Delhi assembly’s monsoon session has a stormy start

Monsoon Session of the Delhi Assembly had a noisy start on Tuesday with the ruling AAP targeting the BJP over the Chandigarh stalking case while the opposition raising the issue of death of sanitation workers in Lajpat Nagar.

As the House met Speaker Ram Niwas Goel started with his observations over current developments, starting with a condolence message for the sanitation workers who died in Lajpat Nagar on Sunday.

As he moved on to the Chandigarh stalking case in which the Haryana BJP president’s son is allegedly involved, leader of the opposition Vijender Gupta objected to it and demanded a discussion on the recent death of sanitation workers. Gupta, along with two other BJP legislators, trooped into the well of the House.

In an unprecedented move, members of the treasury benches, too, moved into the well, raising slogans against the opposition MLAs and the BJP over the Chandigarh case and Gupta’s press note in connection with ‘constitutional’ status of the house committees.

Amid the din, the Speaker adjourned the House twice — first for 15 minutes and then 30 minutes. The MLAs from both the sides trooped into the well again when the proceedings resumed.

The Speaker asked the MLAs to go back to their seats. The AAP MLAs returned but the BJP legislators refused to budge. The Speaker then asked the marshals to escort Gupta out and he was removed forcibly. Later, Rajouri Garden legislator Manjinder Singh Sirsa was also removed by the marshals as he continued to protest. The other BJP MLA Jagdish Pradhan also walked out with Sirsa.

Gupta accused the Speaker of ‘misusing’ his position.

“The Varnika Kundu issue was listed in the revised list of business as last item under the short duration discussion. But the Speaker reversed the order and introduced the last subject first, in order to divert attention from the adjournment motion on sewer deaths to be introduced by me,” Gupta said.