AAP MLAs Blocked from Delhi Assembly and Campus after “Jai Bhim” Slogans, Denied Nomination for Deputy Speaker : it is the form of Dictatorship , Atishi
Townhall Times , New Delhi A group of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) legislators, including the Opposition leader Atishi, were blocked from entering the Delhi Assembly on Thursday. Security personnel set up barricades and closed the main gate to prevent their access.
The AAP members condemned the move, describing it as an authoritarian act. Atishi criticized the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), claiming they had taken a dictatorial approach since coming into power earlier this month. She said the party’s lawmakers were suspended for three days after they chanted “Jai Bhim,” a slogan honoring Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar. Atishi emphasized that the denial of access was unprecedented in the history of the Delhi Assembly.
Sanjeev Jha, one of the suspended AAP legislators, remarked that, despite suspensions, elected members were typically allowed to enter the assembly premises. This was the first instance where entry had been blocked at the main gate.
While 21 of the 22 suspended AAP lawmakers were denied access, Amanatullah Khan, who had been absent when the suspensions were announced, was permitted to enter the assembly and participate in the proceedings on the third day of the new assembly session.
Speaker Vijender Gupta had suspended the AAP lawmakers for disrupting the address of Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena and for disregarding calls for order. The AAP members had raised slogans accusing the BJP of disrespecting national figures like Ambedkar and Bhagat Singh by allegedly removing their portraits from the Chief Minister’s office. BJP leaders, however, denied the allegations, insisting that the pictures were still displayed in the office.
The suspension motion, proposed by Minister Parvesh Verma, was passed, barring the AAP lawmakers from attending three consecutive sittings of the assembly until Friday.
In response, AAP Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Singh criticized the BJP’s actions. He warned that this could set a precedent across the nation, leading to the exclusion of opposition lawmakers from both state assemblies and Parliament. He also stated that this was the first instance in India’s parliamentary history where AAP lawmakers were prevented from entering the assembly.
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