Drama over Lokpal bill; oppn walks out of Delhi assembly, stages protest
NEWDELHI: There was high drama over the Jan Lokpal bill and full statehood for Delhi on the third day of the assembly’s special session with the opposition staging a walkout and protesting outside chief minister Arvind Kejriwal’s office in the premises.
The opposition MLAS said their request to the speaker seeking the government’s reply on the Jan Lokpal Bill was turned down.
Deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia accused the Bjp-led central government of sitting over the Jan Lokpal Bill for around 21 months.
As the proceedings began on Friday, leader of opposition Vijender Gupta, and BJP MLAS Manjinder Singh Sirsa and Jagdish Pradhan demanded a reply from the government on the Bill but speaker Ram Niwas Goel turned down their request.
Following this, the opposition walked out of the House and sat on ‘dharna’ outside the chief minister’s office.
The BJP legislators wrote to Kejriwal and demanded that files related to the Bill be tabled in the assembly without any delay.
“The government is running away from replying to the status of Bill and is misleading the House. The CM and his deputy should apologise to the House over the matter,” the Opposition leader said.
Kejriwal, who was expected to attend the assembly proceedings on Friday and conclude the discussion on full statehood for Delhi, did not come to the House. This resolution was moved by deputy CM Manish Sisodia on Wednesday and is expected to be passed on Monday.
The three-day session that was to conclude on Friday was extended by a day by Goel on Thursday. It will now end on Monday with the CM’S reply to the discussion.
Sirsa said the Opposition would fight for the Bill and ensure it is implemented in Delhi.
Sisodia on Friday said the assembly had passed the Jan Lokpal Bill, which proposes strict punishment for corrupt government officials in Delhi, on December 4, 2015, and sent it to the Centre through the lieutenant governor for approval.
The Bill was sent back by the Centre to the Delhi government in September 2017.
“After sitting on the bill for around 21 months, the Centre wakes up and says there should be a discussion on whether the legislation comes under the competence of the Delhi assembly or not. The Centre is questioning the legislative competence of the assembly. Had Delhi been a full state, the Bill would have been enforced,” Sisodia said.
Sisodia did not counter the opposition’s allegations that the file is still pending with the Delhi government.
Gupta and Sirsa were marshalled out of the House on Thursday while their colleague had staged a walkout when they had trooped into the well, demanding Sisodia’s apology for “misleading” the House over the Bill.