In view of the tense situation due to the overnight protest at the Assembly premises by MLAs of the ruling AAP and Opposition BJP, the Assembly Secretariat on Tuesday issued an order banning the entry of MPs and political party leaders in its premises.

 BJP leader and South MP Ramesh Bidhuri, however, arrived at the Assembly reception and also told reporters that all his party MPs will take part in the Session, irrespective of the Secretariat order. He was stopped at the gate.

“The Deputy Speaker has observed that as members from the ruling and Opposition parties are staging protests inside the Assembly complex, security arrangements should be tightened in and around the Assembly complex to ensure no untoward incidents take place,” the order read. It said only one visitor, accompanied by an MLA, will be allowed to enter the Assembly complex after identity verification. “However, MPs or leaders shall not be allowed to enter the Assembly complex keeping in view their security and the prevailing tense situation," it added.

Sharing a copy of this order, BJP MLA from Rohini Vijender Gupta said on Twitter, “Kejriwal Government is scared! Entry of MPs of Delhi has been banned in the Assembly.”

While the AAP MLAs are pressing for a probe against Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena in a six-year-old case, the BJP leaders demanded the sacking of ministers Manish Sisodia and Satyendar Jain.                 

The ruling party has accused Saxena of pressuring two of his subordinates to get demonetised currency notes worth Rs 1,400 crore exchange during his term as Khadi and Village Industries Commission chairman in 2016.