NEW DELHI: Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena on Sunday flagged ‘grave procedural lapses’ on part of the Delhi government in convening the special one-day session of the Assembly on Monday. According to the L-G, the special session was called without following the rules.
The Delhi government had announced that the session would discuss ‘political disruptions’ made in the power subsidy issues and summoning of CM Arvind Kejriwal by the CBI in the excise policy case.
According to a statement released by the L-G office, the Speaker of the Delhi Legislative Assembly proposed to call the second part of the 4th session of the Assembly, whereas the Delhi Cabinet has recommended convening the one-day session of the Delhi Legislative Assembly.
“As per Rules and Act, the house, adjourned sine die on 29.03.23 has to be first prorogued, before a fresh session can be convened,” read the statement.“Even as a session remains unprorogued, a new session cannot be convened. Delhi Cabinet and Delhi Legislative Assembly are not working in tandem as per the extant law, which has been brought to the notice of the CM by the Lt. Governor,” the statement said.
The Raj Niwas said that the special session has been recommended by the Delhi cabinet without any specified legislative business. Saxena also noted in a file that the session was summoned “without following due procedure” and “should not be convened.”
Responding to the L-G’s stance, Minister Saurabh Bhardwaj said that the Speaker has the power to call the sitting of the House “any time.” “Let me enlighten LG saab: Under Rule 17 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Delhi Assembly, Hon’ble Speaker has the power to call a sitting of the House at any time after it has been adjourned sine-die,” he stated.
“However as per prevailing parliamentary practice, the Speaker convenes only on the cabinet’s recommendation. As there was no recommendation of the cabinet for prorogation, the Hon’ble Speaker rightly summoned the House under Rule 17(2),” Bhardwaj said.