MLA OP Sharma faces expulsion from assembly

NEW DELHI: Bharatiya Janata Party MLA OP Sharma may lose his Delhi assembly membership as the Ethics Committee of the House is likely to recommend his expulsion for allegedly using ‘derogatory’ remark against a woman AAP legislator. The nine-member ethics committee has been deliberating over the issue ever since the matter was referred to it by Speaker Ramniwas Goel during the winter session of Delhi Assembly for further probe.

Sources said the Ethics Committee was likely to hold its ninth meeting on Monday, after which it would send its recommendations to the Speaker. “Till now the committee has met eight times. The BJP legislator was given ample opportunity to defend himself. He attended four of these eight meetings. The committee would meet for the last time on Monday and take a final call on the issue,” an official said.

Only a few days ago, Sharma was caught assaulting a CPI activist outside Patiala House court. In November last year, the Speaker had suspended the Vishwas Nagar legislator for rest of the winter session for using derogatory language against AAP MLA Alka Lamba inside the House.

AAP sources said the committee had made up its mind and is likely to recommend his expulsion. “He has proved himself to be a repeat offender. Despite publicly owning that he uttered those words, he has refused to apologise for his conduct. A fine of ` 18,560 was imposed by the House on the MLA after he broke a mike during an earlier session,” an AAP leader said.

However, Sharma termed the development as an “attack on democracy” as all nine members of the ethics committee are from the ruling party. “I had an indication about the move. The recommendation is an attack on democracy,” Sharma said.