BJP flays suspension of Jaipur Greater mayor
Holds protests across the municipal council area against suspension of Somya Gurjar, 3 councillors
JAIPUR: Condemning the state government’s decision to suspend Jaipur Greater Municipal Corporation’s mayor and three councillors, the BJP held demonstrations across all the wards in the municipal council area on Monday.
Jaipur Greater Municipal Corporation mayor Somya Gurjar and three councillors - Ajay Singh Chauhan, Paras Jain, and Shankar Sharma - were suspended by the state government on Sunday for allegedly misbehaving with the commissioner of the municipal corporation, Yagya Mitra Singh Deo on Friday.
The suspended mayor says the action was politically motivated. “The allegations are baseless. I never thought that this would be the result of working honestly. The government’s act is due to political animosity. It is supporting those who are doing wrong things. I have full faith in the judiciary,” Gurjar said.
State BJP president Satish Poonia said the state government’s act is dictatorial and undemocratic; BJP condemns it. “This shows that Congress was not able to digest their defeat and conspiring for long. Earlier, they didn’t let the committee function, then partiality in budget. Disagreements between elected and officials happens generally, but turning them into cases shows dictating attitude.”
“On a complaint by an officer and without any hearing suspending the elected representative is another mistake of the government,” Poonia said.
“BJP has decided that along with legal battle, demonstration will be held across all the 250 wards of Jaipur today (Monday). On Tuesday, across the state, following the Covid protocol BJP will express their protest. When Covid situation normalises, the party on this and related issues will run a campaign against the government,” he added.
Union minister Ganjendra Singh Shekhawat tweeted, “Last year Ashok Gehlot was crying out to save democracy and today he killed the same democracy. The suspension of Jaipur Greater Mayor and councillors is fascism of Congress. Rajasthan will not allow this fascism to flourish.”
In another tweet, he said, “Public representatives elected by the people cannot be suspended without hearing. Gehlot should remember this is not the time of 1975 emergency or 1984 genocide, this time they have to reply. For how long will the congress misuse the state’s system?”
Commenting on the government’s suspension order, Rajasthan High Court advocate Prateek Kasliwal said under the Rajasthan Municipal Act 2009, there is a provision under section 39 for the removal of an elected member. There are certain grounds prescribed for the same.
He said the sub-clauses of section 39 mentions action if there is misconduct in discharging the duties; disgraceful conduct; and abuse in any manner of its position.
Kasliwal said in such situation, the state government can pass order to offer inquiry from an officer not below the rank of state level officer. But the concerned member has to be afforded an opportunity of explanation and thereafter a judicial enquiry of the case.
Supporting government action, senior Congress leader Archana Sharma said, “The people of the city are disappointed with the conduct of mayor and councillors. They under a conspiracy manhandled and misbehaved with the official. A mayor is first citizen of a city and such a behaviour is unacceptable.”
“The action by the government will convey a right message,” she added.