Eight AAP MLAs marshalled out of Assembly

Eight Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLAs were marshalled out of the Delhi Assembly on Tuesday by Speaker Vijender Gupta after they raised slogans and disrupted proceedings demanding the resignation of Food Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa. 

The Delhi Assembly witnessed high drama on Tuesday as AAP MLAs staged a protest over an alleged “scam”, carrying sacks of rice into the House and throwing some of it during the proceedings, which led to a heated confrontation in the House. AAP MLAs also carried placards inside the House targeting Delhi Food and Supplies Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa, demanding his resignation over an alleged rice scam.

Meanwhile, Delhi Minister Parvesh Verma said AAP MLA Kuldeep Kumar took rice out of his pocket and threw it at members and officials.

“Speaker Sir, today all the members of the House seek your protection. It has been three days, and they have continuously been creating a ruckus. Today, they crossed all limits. Kuldeep Kumar took rice out of his pocket and threw it at our members and our officials. Action should be taken against him,” Verma said. Speaker Vijender Gupta strongly condemned the incident.

“What is happening in the House is the height of indiscipline. This will not be tolerated at any cost,” he said.

The MLAs sent out of the House were — Sanjeev Jha, Jarnail Singh, Kuldeep Kumar, Som Dutt, Ajay Dutt, Virendra Kadyan, Surinder Kumar and Chaudhary Zubair Ahmed.

Delhi Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa, who has been targeted by AAP over the rice row, denied the allegations and said the Delhi government had neither purchased nor sold any rice. “The manner in which something was thrown at our officials amounts to contempt of the House,” Mr Sirsa said.

“Our government neither purchased any rice nor sold it. We received a representation from a company which had purchased the rice, and I wrote just one line asking that it be considered,” he said.

“We did not purchase it, we did not pay any money, and we have no quota involved.” Sirsa accused AAP of creating a ruckus over the issue for the last three days to ensure there was no discussion on financial assistance for women.

“They have been creating a ruckus over this for the last three days only to ensure that there is no discussion on the money being given to women,” he said. “I will take them to court. I will file a defamation case,” Sirsa added. Deputy Speaker Mohan Singh Bisht sought strict action and said the matter should be referred to the Privileges Committee.