The AAP MLAs’ protest at being denied entry to the Delhi Assembly was denounced by the BJP
New Delhi: BJP MLAs Arvinder Singh Lovely and Kailash Gahlot addressed the issue in the current session on Thursday, after the protest by AAP MLAs when they were refused admission into the Delhi Vidhan Sabha.
The protesting AAP MLAs were suspended from the Vidhan Sabha, as explained by Arvinder Singh Lovely, who said, “They are unable to attend the session since they are suspended from the Vidhan Sabha. Further than making accusations, they have no further knowledge.
By pointing to previous examples of similar measures, BJP MLA Kailash Gahlot emphasized that refusing entrance to suspended members was not a novel practice.
“The denial of MLAs access to the House session is not the first time. Many BJP MLAs have been barred from Vidhan Sabha sessions since 2015, and not just for a single sitting but for the whole of the session,” Gahlot said, pointing out that suspensions had previously occurred across party lines.
Parvesh Verma, a minister in Delhi, stated: “In Delhi, nothing has occurred for ten years. Additionally, it was the first time that they made a noise or protested during the Lieutenant Governor’s address. In the House, the opposition is free to create as much noise as they want, but noise is prohibited while the president or lieutenant governor is speaking. This is a major crime in a sense. I anticipate that the opposition will refrain from doing this in the future.
Atishi, an Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA and Leader of the Opposition in the Delhi Assembly, had earlier protested outside the Delhi Vidhan Sabha on Thursday with ‘Jai Bhim’ placards after being refused entry. She called the action “undemocratic and unconstitutional.”
The Delhi Assembly LoP argued that elected representatives have the right to be present in the Assembly complex even if they are not allowed inside the House and questioned why suspended lawmakers were being denied access to the premises despite precedents from state assemblies and Parliament permitting such access.
“Police officials are claiming that we (AAP MLAs) are suspended from the assembly, so we will not even be permitted to enter the assembly premises,” Atishi told ANI. This is unlawful and undemocratic. This has never occurred in the nation’s history as of yet. Even after being suspended, demonstrations are still held in front of the Gandhi monument in Parliament. How can we be stopped, after all? Nothing came of our attempts to speak with the Speaker.
Amid a commotion ahead of the CAG report’s tabling, Speaker Vijender Gupta banned 12 AAP MLAs on Tuesday, including Atishi and AAP MLA Gopal Rai, further escalating tensions in the Delhi Assembly.
