Rumours are doing the rounds that the Ethics Committee, Delhi Assembly comprising all nine AAP MlAs headed by Narayan Datt Sharma has decided to recommend disqualification of BJP MlA OP Sharma from the House in connection with a case of hurling “sexist” comments on a woman AAP legislator Alka lamba.
The move comes days after Sharma, MlA from Vishwas Nagar, was caught on camera assaulting a CPI activist at Patiala House Courts complex on Monday.
Sharma arrested in the assault case on Thursday and released the same day and questioned for around eight hours at the Tilak Marg police station — has termed the reported move “an attack on democracy”. He said he had an indication about the recommendation five months ago as the committee had only AAP MlAs.
Delhi Assembly Speaker Ram Niwas Goel had suspended Sharma for rest of the Winter Session for using derogatory language against lamba inside the House. Also, Goel had referred the matter to the Ethics Committee of the House for further probe.
Sources said the recommendations in the case are likely to be tabled in the House during its Budget Session next month and that a final decision will be taken on Sharma’s membership by the Assembly.
They further said the Committee has held that BJP legislator is a “habitual offender”, besides being “unapologetic” over his “misbehaviour”.
The Committee in its several meetings had given Sharma an opportunity to apologise to lamba, but he refused to do so. Since Sharma refused to apologise, the Committee has concluded that his conduct is unbecoming.
“In view of this, the Committee will recommend that the BJP legislator be expelled from the Delhi Assembly,” sources said.
In December, the Delhi Assembly had passed a resolution on recovering `18,560 from Sharma’s salary towards the cost incurred in replacing a mike he had damaged during the Budget Session and warned him not to repeat such action.