Jan Lokpal Bill: BJP MLAs storm out of Delhi Assembly

NEW DELHI: Three legislators of the Bharatiya Janata Party on Friday staged a walkout from the Delhi Assembly, after their request for the government's reply on the Jan Lokpal Bill was turned down, even as Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia accused the Centre of sitting on it for 21 months.

Leader of Opposition Vijender Gupta and BJP MLAs Manjinder Singh Sirsa and Jagdish Pradhan, after staging the walkout, sat on a 'dharna' outside Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's office in the Assembly premises. They sought his apology for spreading "lies" that the file of the Bill is pending with the Centre.

Sisodia said that the Assembly had passed the Jan Lokpal Bill on December 4, 2015, and sent it to the Centre through the Lieutenant Governor for approval.

"After sitting on the Bill for 21 months, the Centre wakes up and says there should be a discussion on whether the Bill comes under the competence of the Delhi Assembly or not.

"The Centre is raising the question on the right of the Assembly. If Delhi was a full state, Jan Lokpal would have been enforced in Delhi," the Deputy CM said.

He, however, did not counter the Opposition's allegations that the file related to the Bill was still pending with the Delhi government.

As the House proceedings began on Friday, Gupta, Sirsa and Pradhan demanded a reply from the government on the Bill, but their request was turned down, following which they staged the walkout.

The three BJP leaders also wrote to Kejriwal, demanding that files related to the Bill be tabled in the Assembly without delay.

The Jan Lokpal Bill proposes strict punishment for corrupt government officials in the national Capital.

During the sit-in, Gupta told reporters that Sisodia had "misled" the House on Wednesday, saying that the Jan Lokpal Bill is pending with the Centre.

"The (Delhi) government is running away from replying on the status of the Bill. The CM and Deputy CM should apologise to the House over the issue," the BJP MLA said.

Sirsa, meanwhile, said the Opposition will fight for the Jan Lokpal Bill and ensure that it is implemented in the Capital.