Speaker calls Gupta a liar, BJP MLAs walk out
Bharatiya Janata Party ( BJP) legislators staged a walkout from the Delhi Assembly on Tuesday after Speaker Ram Niwas Goel declined their request for a discussion on the condition of slums in the national capital.
As the session began, BJP MLA and Leader of Opposition Vijender Gupta demanded a discussion on the issue. Mr Goel, however, said that he would only allow the discussion on “jhuggis” to take place later.
Mr Gupta said that he has been demanding the discussion since the time the Budget Session began on March 16, but the Speaker “has not allowed” it.
Declaring the claim to be base less, Mr Goel said Mr Gupta was “lying”.
An irate Mr Gupta accompanied by the rest of BJP MLAs, including Om Prakash Sharma, Manjinder Singh Sirsa and Jagdish Pradhan, walked out of the House in protest.
Mr Goel slammed the Leader of Opposition for making “baseless” allegations that the Speaker was not allowing the discussion for the past 12 days on “jhuggis” since the Budget Session of the Assembly began on March 16.
“He ( Mr Gupta) is lying. I received a notice from him to have a discussion on the condition of jhuggis yesterday,” the Speaker told the House.
Meanwhile, the Delhi Assembly’s Budget Session was on Tuesday extended for another two days and the House would meet on April 4 and 5.
The proposal to extend the said session was moved by deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia and was approved by Speaker Ram Niwas Goel.
“The Budget Session has been extended for two more days,” the Speaker said.
This is the second time that the Budget Session of the Delhi Assembly has been extended for two days.
On March 28, the Assembly session was extended for two days. The House will again assemble on April 4 and 5, Mr Goel said.
The Budget Session had begun on March 16 and was scheduled to conclude on April 3.