Assembly adjourned amid ruckus over Atishi’s Guru Tegh Bahadur remark
The Delhi Assembly sitting on Wednesday was adjourned for the day after BJP MLAs raised slogans against Leader of Opposition Atishi, accusing her of “disrespecting” Sikh Guru Tegh Bahadur, and repeatedly trooped in the well of the House over the matter.
Speaker Vijender Gupta was forced to adjourn the House twice as MLAs of the ruling party, carrying posters, raised slogans against AAP leaders in the well of the House and demanded an apology from Atishi.
Gupta said that he had a transcript of Atishi’s statement and urged her to join the sitting and clarify her remarks. He said what she said was condemnable and totally unacceptable.
Former chief minister of Delhi, Atishi, was not present in the House.
Several ruling party members, including the ministers Manjinder Singh Sirsa, Ashish Sood and Kapil Mishra, demanded an apology from Atishi. The BJP MLA informed that through the letter submitted to the Speaker, three key demands have been made: first, Atishi’s membership of the Delhi Legislative Assembly be cancelled with immediate effect; second, a criminal case be registered against her for hurting religious sentiments; and third, the Hon’ble Speaker may exercise his special privileges and powers to ensure punitive action, including imprisonment if warranted.
Sirsa said that the leader of the Opposition said something insensitive against Guru Tegh Bahadur after a special discussion on a programme held by the Delhi Government to mark his 350th martyrdom anniversary in November last year, which concluded on Tuesday. When the House reconvened after the second adjournment, the speaker said he was informed by opposition AAP MLA Mukesh Ahlawat that Atishi was in Goa, where she was the AAP’s party in charge.
Gupta tried to bring the House in order, urging BJP MLAs to go back to their seats, but the protest by ruling party legislators went on. He then adjourned the House till Thursday at 11 am. Meanwhile, the Aam Aadmi Party MLAs said that as Delhi residents battle hazardous air pollution, the BJP-led government has been called out again for dodging debate on the crisis.
