NEW DELHI: Speaker Vijender Gupta on Friday suspended four Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLAs for the remaining period of the ongoing Winter Session of the Delhi Assembly for “disrupting” House proceedings.
In a statement, Gupta said, “due to the continuous disruption of the proceedings of the House and violation of its decorum, Opposition members (AAP) Som Dutt, Jarnail Singh, Sanjeev Jha and Kuldeep Kumar are suspended from the House for the rest of the Winter Session.”
The Vidhan Sabha Secretariat said that the decision of the Speaker was exercised strictly to preserve the authority, order, and dignity of the House and in full conformity with the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business of the Delhi Legislative Assembly.
The AAP MLAs demonstrated inside the Assembly complex demanding immediate resignation of minister Kapil Mishra for sharing a video related to alleged insult of Guru Tegh Bahadur by Leader of Opposition Atishi.
Raising slogans outside the House, AAP leaders urged the Speaker to cancel the BJP minister’s membership, with Chief Whip Sanjeev Jha saying the misuse of Guru Sahib’s name to defame LoP Atishi was unacceptable. The demonstration was led by AAP MLAs Jarnail Singh and Kuldeep Kumar.
Meanwhile, Delhi BJP leaders and party workers also held a massive protest outside the AAP office against the alleged insult of Sikh Guru Guru Tegh Bahadur by Atishi. A large number of workers from the Delhi BJP’s Sikh Cell also participated in the protest.
BJP workers gathered at Windsor Place and marched towards the AAP office, raising slogans demanding Atishi’s resignation and an apology from Arvind Kejriwal and Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann.
Before reaching the office, Delhi Police stopped the BJP workers with heavy barricading near the Firozshah Road–Madhavrao Scindia Marg red light, announced their detention, and later released them after issuing a warning.
Speaking on the matter, BJP National General Secretary Tarun Chugh said, “Atishi’s conduct and statements in the Assembly reflect deep disrespect towards Sikh Gurus and Sikh traditions, and are also against constitutional dignity.
Acting at the behest of Kejriwal, the repeated statements made by Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann in Punjab clearly prove that the AAP’s approach towards Sikh faith has not been sensitive, but rather hostile. Such insults to Sikh religious symbols and traditions on constitutional platforms are not merely careless acts, but deliberate attempts to hurt the sentiments of Sikh community.”