The first half of the day at the Delhi Assembly was washed away on Thursday as no scheduled business could be taken up due to AAP MlAs’ vociferous demand to send BJP MlA OP Sharma to jail. Sharma had made “obscene” and personally derogatory remarks against AAP MlA Alka lamba inside the Assembly on Tuesday.
Even as the Opposition had already walked out in the beginning of the Session and two motions moved by Aam Aadmi Party MlAs — to suspend Sharma for the whole Winter Session and to send the whole matter to Ethics Committee — were passed, the AAP MlAs didn’t let the House function as they shouted slogans against Sharma. It was only in the second half of the day that the AAP MlAs mellowed down after an appeal by Deputy CM Manish Sisodia.
The day started with a sit-in protest by women AAP MlAs outside the Assembly. They were accompanied by some other women AAP workers as well. Alka lamba said while they will participate in the Assembly proceedings once they begin, till then, they will sit outside to register their protest. All the women sported black arm-bands as a sign of protest.
As soon as the Session started, all women MlAs stepped into the Well of the Assembly and insisted that they will participate in all the debates while sitting on the floor of the Well.
Meanwhile, leader of Opposition Vijender Gupta moved a privilege motion on the Tuesday’s incident claiming that the BJP MlAs were abused verbally and physically during Assembly proceedings on Tuesday. The Speaker, however, dismissed the motion, following which, Gupta and BJP MlA Jagdish Pradhan walked out. OP Sharma wasn’t present inside the Assembly as he was suspended for two days on Tuesday. He, however, held a sit-in protest outside the Assembly Hall, along with Gupta and Pradhan. Blaming Deputy CM Manish Sisodia for suppressing the voice of the Opposition, Gupta demanded action be taken against him.
Inside the Assembly, lamba reiterated the demand of the women MlAs that not only Sharma’s membership of the Delhi Assembly be cancelled, but he should also be sent to jail. “Outside the Assembly, Sharma is making statements that what happened in the Assembly on Tuesday is a figment of our imagination. That he never made any derogatory remark against anyone inside the House, even though the same is in records of the House. So we reiterate our demand that his membership should be cancelled and he should be sent to jail,” she said.
Commenting on Sharma’s statement, AAP MlA Rakhi Birla added, “How could his statements be imaginaryIJ Which women would want to face sexist remarkIJ It is not only insult of one woman or the six women MlAs, but it is an insult to all the women of Delhi who have sent us in this House as their representatives. Two-day suspension is not enough for their insult. His place is not in the Assembly, but in Tihar.”
Acting on the demands of the women MlAs, Tourism Minister Kapil Mishra moved a motion to send the issue for inquiry to the Ethics Committee. AAP MlA Kailash Gehlot also moved a motion seeking Sharma’s suspension for the whole Winter Session for calling the Speaker “mentally unstable”. Both the motions were passed without any opposition.
Speaker Ram Niwas Goel expressed regret at the ongoing events and said while it is hard to take such harsh actions against any MlA, be it
from ruling party or Opposition, the situation demands such measures.
“Vijender Gupta had on Tuesday assured us that he will make OP Sharma apologise inside the Assembly. But on Thursday, instead of expressing a single word of regret, he moved a malicious motion,” he said. Even after the issue was sent to the Ethics Committee and Sharma was suspended for the whole session, AAP MlAs didn’t let the House function for around two hours as they started demanding that OP Sharma should be sent to jail. The whole Assembly echoed with Om Prakash ko jail bhejo slogans and almost all the MlAs stormed into the Well of the house.
Referring to Akhilesh Tripathi’s arrest, lamba said, “If the Delhi Police can indiscriminately arrest AAP MlAs for a two-year-old case, are we not even able to gather the courage to send a person who used such derogatory remarks to jail even for a single dayIJ”
The House was adjourned twice and no scheduled business could be taken up in the first two hours of the Session. It was only after Deputy CM Manish Sisodia appealed to the women MlAs to return to their seats that Assembly Proceedings could begin.
“The matter has already been sent to the Ethics Committee. I urge you to trust the Committee. Whatever recommendations come from it, we will sincerely consider them. I request you now to cooperate with us so that the valuable time of the House could be utilized,” he said.
After being assured of a swift inquiry, the women MlAs, led by Alka lamba, returned to their seats allowing the House to function.