The Delhi Assembly was adjourned for the day on Monday after a war of words broke out between BJP MLAs and members of the ruling AAP over “illegal and unwanted obstructions and interferences” by Lieutenant-Governor VK Saxena. The three-day Delhi Assembly session started on Monday on a tumultuous note and the House proceedings witnessed repeated adjournments on the first day and hardly 10 minutes of proceedings could be held.
As soon as the proceedings began, AAP MLAs started protesting against the BJP MLAs who were wearing masks and carrying oxygen cylinders. Speaker Ram Niwas Goel directed that the cylinders be taken away from the BJP members and questioned how they brought them into the House despite security restrictions. BJP MLAs - Bidhuri, Abhay Verma, Mohan Singh Bisht, Om Prakash Sharma, and Jitendra Mahajan - were also seen wearing placards around their necks that alleged that people of Delhi were dying due to the toxic air and demanded the resignation of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.
Taking cognizance of the “lapse” and noting that the cylinders could be used to injure someone, the Speaker summoned security personnel to his chamber over the issue. Even as the protest by BJP members refused to die down, he said, “Please have some shame. I urge members to maintain peace.”
Later, after a war of words broke out between BJP and members of the ruling AAP over “illegal and unwanted obstructions and interferences” by the L-G, Goel adjourned proceedings for 10 minutes.
AAP legislator Saurabh Bhardwaj initiated the discussion on calling attention motion on the issue of “illegal and unwanted obstructions and interferences in the education of children and training of teachers.”
Bhardwaj said, “In 2018, the Supreme Court ruled that other than land, public order and police, the Lieutenant-Governor has no authority to any other matter of the Government. The Lieutenant-Governor neither frames the law nor does he believe in the Constitution.”
Leader of Opposition in the Delhi Assembly Ramvir Singh Bidhuri expressed opposition on this issue and defended the L-G. Countering the claim of the AAP leader, Bidhuri said, “Sourabh is making false assertions in the Assembly.”
Even as the protest by BJP members refused to die down in the House, the Speaker said, “Show me the certificate if you had corona. I will allow you (to carry oxygen cylinder) .... This is false.” Goel accused Bidhuri of trying to be the L-G’s spokesperson, following which AAP MLAs came into the Well of the House.
After the House reconvened after the brief adjournment, AAP MLAs again started raising slogans against the L-G over his “objections” to sending Delhi government teachers for a training programme to Finland, following which the speaker again adjourned the House for half an hour. Subsequently, the House was adjourned for the day.
Earlier, Bidhuri, in a statement, said people are suffering from cancer and lung diseases due to pollution. “Hospitals in Delhi are full of patients with respiratory diseases. Doctors say that the disease of cough and pneumonia is spreading rapidly in the Capital and the biggest reason for this is the pollution of Delhi,” he said.