NEW DELHI: In yet another round of tussle between the BJP and AAP before the budget session of the Delhi Assembly, Speaker Vijender Gupta on Wednesday hit back at Leader of Opposition Atishi over her criticism of his conduct in running the proceedings of the House.
Atishi wrote a strongly worded letter to the Speaker, calling for a fair and impartial approach to the proceedings. Gupta, in reply, reiterated that these are baseless allegations which seem to have been made more due to political considerations rather than facts.
The first session of Delhi Assembly Session had witnessed a war of words between the ruling and opposition dispensations after a row over allegations of removal of portraits from offices at Delhi Vidhan Sabha. The opposition party, during LG’s address to the House, created ruckus and were suspended by the Speaker for three days.
As per the rule, the AAP MLAs were denied entry to the Assembly premises during their suspension. The Speaker’s action had witnessed letter war from both sides, making allegations and counter allegations against each other.
In his letter to Atishi on Wednesday, Gupta said, “I have repeatedly clarified that my decision to keep out the members who had been suspended by the House was strictly as per our Rule 277 read with the definition of 'precincts'. In the matter of floor time also, I think you have not been properly briefed about our Rules and parliamentary conventions. The floor time is definitely allotted as per party strength.”
“You have mentioned my acts during my tenure as an opposition member. While it will not be appropriate for me to reply in detail about the reasons for our protests, kindly bear in mind that we resorted to judicial recourse and got relief from the courts for the actions of the then Speaker and the government,” he said.
The LoP, in her letter, alleged that the unlawful suspension of opposition MLAs and their restricted access to the Assembly were deliberate attempts to stifle dissent, effectively silencing 44 per cent of Delhi’s electorate. Calling for an immediate end to the bias, she reminded the Speaker that his duty is to uphold legislative integrity, not serve the interests of the ruling party.
LoP Atishi expressed her deep anguish over the manner in which the recently concluded session of the Legislative Assembly was conducted. “In a parliamentary democracy, the Speaker serves as the impartial custodian of legislative debate, upholding the rules, maintaining decorum, and ensuring that every voice is heard. By safeguarding minority rights while overseeing the majority's agenda, the Speaker must foster an atmosphere of fair debate and responsible governance,” she noted.