NEW DELHI: The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) House descended into chaos on Thursday as opposition councillors accused the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) of sheltering Rohingya and Bangladeshi immigrants.
The session, scheduled to start at 2 pm, was delayed as Mayor Mahesh Khichi failed to arrive by 3 pm, further escalating tensions.
Councillors from the BJP and Congress stormed into the well of the House, climbed atop benches and displayed placards with slogans targeting AAP. Some placards read, “Illegal Rohingyas and Bangladeshi immigrants are AAP’s friends” and “Liar Kejriwal, shame on you.” Slogans such as “Mayor Shahab time pe aao” and “Nahi chalega, aise house nahi chalega” reverberated in the hall. Opposition members demanded an apology from the mayor for his absence before allowing proceedings to continue.
In retaliation, AAP councillors raised slogans like “Baba Saheb ka apmaan nahi sahenge” and “Jai Bhim,” referencing Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s recent remarks in Parliament about B R Ambedkar, India’s first law minister. The ruling party accused the BJP of disrespecting Ambedkar’s legacy. The issue of Rohingya and Bangladeshi immigrants has long been a contentious topic between AAP and the BJP in Delhi.
Both parties have accused each other of settling illegal immigrants and including them in voter rolls for political gains, making it a recurring flashpoint in the city’s politics. The house was supposed to discuss several matters in the meeting including the automatic doubling of parking fees during GRAP, construction of a bridge over the Chirag Delhi drain, decommissioning old MCD vehicles, and scheduling the formation of the MCD standing committee.
Both BJP and Congress councillors stormed into well
Councillors from the BJP and Congress stormed into the well of the House, climbed atop benches and displayed placards with slogans targeting AAP. Some placards read, “Illegal Rohingyas and Bangladeshi immigrants are AAP’s friends” and “Liar Kejriwal, shame on you.”