During a session in the Delhi assembly, six Opposition BJP lawmakers were forcefully removed as tensions escalated while AAP lawmaker Durgesh Pathak initiated a discussion on ethnic violence in Manipur.
The Delhi assembly was initially set to discuss the “undemocratic” Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (GNCTD) Act, which transferred administrative control to the Union government, a move opposed by the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). The assembly was also scheduled to address the “alleged scam in the construction of the Dwarka Expressway.”
AAP legislators Sanjeev Jha, Bhavna Gaur, and Akhilesh Pati Tripathi were to discuss the “undemocratic move of the Central Government” and its impact on the elected Delhi Government’s powers. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was expected to contribute to the discussion.
In a heated exchange, the BJP lawmakers were ejected during the discussion on Manipur’s ethnic violence.
The Delhi government had challenged the GNCTD Act in the Supreme Court, while AAP, though critical of the Act, pledged to adhere to it for the time being.
The control of bureaucrats has been a key point of contention between the Union and Delhi’s AAP governments since Kejriwal assumed power in 2015. A Supreme Court order had granted control of services to the elected government, but the Union government issued an ordinance and passed the GNCDT Act to regain control.
On another note, AAP protested against alleged corruption in the Dwarka Expressway project, referring to a CAG report indicating that the project’s cost had increased significantly from its original approval. AAP called it a “big scam” by the Modi government, claiming the project’s cost per kilometer had surged without proper authorization.
