NEW DELHI: Fate comes full circle for BJP’s Rohini MLA Vijender Gupta. Once marshalled out of the Delhi Assembly by the Speaker during the AAP regime, Gupta will now wield the baton as the new Speaker.
Ten years ago, erstwhile Speaker Ram Niwas Goel ordered him removed from the floor of the House amid an uproar over alleged derogatory remarks by BJP’s OP Sharma against then-AAP MLA Alka Lamba.
Goel initially asked Gupta, then-Leader of Opposition, to leave the House for a certain period. He refused and even resisted attempts to remove him forcibly by holding on to the bench. The staff eventually managed to evict him. Before his removal, Gupta accused the Speaker of being partial towards the ruling AAP, alleging that three BJP legislators had been abused and assaulted by ruling party MLAs.
House marshals removed him from the floor on several other occasions whenever the BJP leader raised his voice against the AAP government.
Following his appointment as Speaker, Gupta said, “I am thankful to the party for giving me the responsibility of Speaker of Delhi Assembly. I will fulfil my responsibility. I hope we will have healthy discussions in the House.”
Gupta has long been associated with the RSS, having been a ‘swayamsevak’ since childhood. In the early 80s, he became active in student politics, which paved the way for his long political career. He was Delhi convener of BJP’s student wing and in 1984, and vice president of DU students’ union.
Gupta was nominated president of Delhi BJP in 2010, a post he held for three years. In 2015, Gupta was among the three MLAs who won despite the AAP wave. He was then appointed Leader of Opposition.