Chaos in Delhi Assembly as AAP & BJP clash over multiple issues
New Delhi: The Delhi Assembly convened on Thursday amid heightened tensions, as members of the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) clashed over multiple issues, including the controversial termination of bus marshals and significant tree felling in the Ridge area. The session quickly descended into chaos, prompting Speaker Ram Niwas Goel to adjourn proceedings for 15 minutes.
The BJP MLAs demanded the tabling of pending reports from the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), but their protests led to their expulsion from the Assembly. Leader of the Opposition, Vijender Gupta, along with his colleagues, staged a mock Assembly outside the Speaker’s office in protest.
The session marked the return of AAP’s national convener, Arvind Kejriwal, who had recently been released from Tihar Jail following bail in the excise policy case. “The BJP has been stalling work for the welfare of the people while I was in jail,” Kejriwal stated, addressing the Assembly amidst a backdrop of political contention.
Cabinet Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj was particularly vocal, alleging that the BJP, through the Lieutenant Governor (L-G) and the Delhi Development Authority (DDA), had illegally cut down 1,100 trees in the city’s forests. “The L-G deceived the Supreme Court by seeking permission to cut down trees after they had already been felled,” he asserted, condemning the actions taken under the L-G’s directives. Bharadwaj further claimed that the tree removals were not related to a hospital project, as suggested by the BJP, but were intended to protect nearby billionaires’ farmhouses. Bharadwaj emphasised the gravity of the situation, saying, “When the L-G was caught, DDA emails revealed that he had visited the site and given orders to clear the trees.” He detailed how the Supreme Court had expressed concern about the illegal felling and that the L-G had attempted to mislead the court regarding the status of permissions.
The Assembly session began with condolences for notable figures, including CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury and victims of violence in Manipur. However, the discussion swiftly turned to the contentious issue of tree felling. The AAP accused the BJP of misrepresenting facts surrounding the felling of 422 trees for the widening of a road for the Central Armed Police Forces Institute of Medical Sciences (CAPFIMS).
Bharadwaj criticised the BJP’s narrative, urging them to clarify to the Supreme Court who was responsible for the illegal felling of trees. He stated, “The Supreme Court has been schooling BJP MLAs for months. If they know the orders under which the trees were cut, they must come forward.”
The session, which also saw the introduction of newly appointed Chief Minister Atishi, is expected to culminate in a trust vote on Friday. As the political drama unfolded, the AAP leadership reiterated its commitment to environmental preservation, contrasting it with the actions attributed to the opposition.
In light of these events, the assembly session has underscored the deep political rifts in Delhi, with critical implications for governance and environmental policies moving forward.
Kejriwal allotted seat number 41 with Sisodia next to him He once had the ‘number one’ chair. On Thursday, AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal was allotted seat number 41
in the Delhi Assembly, many paces away from the chief minister’s chair. While his successor Atishi got the chief minister’s ‘one’ seat, trusted lieutenant Manish Sisodia was given a spot next to Kejriwal, who was chief minister for close to 10 years, at seat 40.
After taking charge, Atishi had kept the chair used by her predecessor Kejriwal empty at the chief minister’s office, a move the BJP and the Congress said was a “grave insult” to the post. Days after coming out of Tihar on bail in the excise policy case, Kejriwal resigned as chief minister, saying he would return to the post after getting a “certificate of honesty” from the people of Delhi in the assembly polls due in February.
