NEW DELHI: Demanding to conduct MCD mayoral elections immediately, Aam Aadmi Party leaders and workers on Tuesday gheraoed office of the Delhi BJP. The party leaders said that the MCD’s presiding officer must be tried for contempt of court as the officer wilfully lied in the house by claiming to have a High Court order regarding voting in the elections.
They alleged that postponement of mayor elections on Monday was predetermined because despite there being a fight for every vote, the BJP MPs were not present in the house. They said that the BJP-ruled central government has illegally occupied the MCD for the last one year and wanted to continue their dishonest work now. “The Supreme Court will be our final resort in this case; they are now our only remaining hope,” they said.
“We have a higher vote count than BJP which is why they are trying to avoid the election. The MCD budget is Rs 16,000 crore per year, multiplying that by 15 years to determine the extent of BJP’s corruption. We are prepared for a long-term struggle but will not allow the BJP to murder democracy. We are ready to face lathicharge and water cannons but won’t stop this fight,” said AAP MLA Durgesh Pathak.
AAP spokesperson Saurabh Bhardwaj said, “We have shared with the Supreme Court about how the BJP’s central government has tried to form its own government within the MCD through unfair means and hooliganism, which is illegal and unconstitutional. We have all of the video evidence from Monday, in which it can be seen how the BJP councillors began making ruckus in the house, engaging in hooliganism, and raising slogans, while the AAP councillors sat quietly. So the BJP indulges in hooliganism, shouts slogans there, as well as their temporary mayor adjourns the house. This means that the whole conspiracy was already decided.”
He added, “The Deputy CM had stated on Monday morning that the BJP will not hold the mayoral elections, and that is exactly what actually happened. The fact that the BJP’s own MPs, such as Manoj Tiwari, Hans Raj Hans, and Gautam Gambhir, were not present on Monday is also major proof of the same. Where were they? Why are the BJP MPs absent from such a significant election wherein there is a fight for every vote and there is rampant dishonesty? This confirms that the decision to cancel Monday’s election was made in advance.”
‘Main target is rising political graph of AAP’
Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia questioned the move claiming that the BJP-ruled Centre is once again targeting AAP leaders just ahead of the municipal polls. AAP chief spokesperson Saurabh Bhardwaj said that the summoning of Pathak is indication in itself that MCD polls are around cation in itself that MCD polls are aroundthe corner.