Haryana stalking case rocks Delhi Assembly

The Haryana stalking case involving Varnika Kundu and the death of three sanitation employees in Lajpat Nagar rocked the Delhi Assembly Monsoon session on the very first day on Tuesday. The Assembly had to be adjourned twice by speaker Ram Niwas Goel.

As soon as the Assembly began, Vijender Gupta objected to Speaker Ram Niwas Goel's demand for the discussion, saying the death of three sanitation employees, who died after inhaling toxic gases while cleaning a sewer line here on Sunday, should also be discussed.

Goel responded to the objection, saying: "Varnika's issue is a very serious matter. You are not respecting the importance of it."

When Leader of Opposition in Assembly, Vijender Gupta, trooped into the House of Well and the AAP legislators raised slogans that 'BJP ke Gundon se Beti Bachavo'.

The Speaker adjourned House for 15 minutes. But after the House resumed function, the BJP legislators were not ready to take their seats, despite the Speaker's request.

When the House restarted functioning third time, BJP MLAs Vijender Gupta and Manjinder Singh Sirsa were marshalled out of the Delhi assembly for causing disturbance and repeatedly opposing a discussion on the Chandigarh stalking issue that involves a party leader's son.

The two were consistently hindering a discussion on the issue of Varnika Kundu being allegedly stalked by Vikas Barala, the son of Haryana Bharatiya Janata Party chief Subhash Barala, in Chandigarh.

Hearing this, Gupta, along with two BJP MLAs Jagdish Pradhan and Manjinder Singh Sirsa, came towards the Speaker's podium and started shouting slogans demanding a discussion on the death of sanitation employees.

On this, 10 to 12 ruling Aam Aadmi Party members, who were sporting tags reading "We stand for Varnika" left their seats and also came up to the podium.

Goel directed all of them to go back and take their seats.

Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia tried to speak on the issue but could not do so due to the disturbance and the Assembly was adjourned again.

After it resumed, it was again adjourned for 30 minutes. The third time, the discussion started, Gupta and Sirsa were marshalled out for obstructing it.

AAP legislators demanded short duration discussion over " safety and security of women and vulnerable section of society in national capital in the wake of harassment of Varnika Kundu in Chandigarh." But the Speaker did not allow discussion owing to lack of time.