On Wednesday, the Delhi Assembly was adjourned for 10 minutes after a heated exchange between Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) lawmakers over the law-and-order situation in the capital. BJP members staged a walkout for half an hour in protest against the AAP’s stance.
The second sitting of the winter session began under Rule 280, allowing members to raise constituency-related issues. A discussion on the deteriorating law and order situation followed. AAP lawmaker Durgesh Pathak initiated the discussion, stating that Delhi’s law and order was worsening and no one felt safe. He blamed the Union Home Minister, Amit Shah, for not ensuring adequate police control. Pathak accused police officers of being appointed to key posts based on their political affiliation with the BJP.
BJP Fires Back, Cites Punjab Incident
BJP lawmaker Ajay Mahawar responded, suggesting that AAP should not comment on law and order given the attempt on the life of former deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal in AAP-governed Punjab. Mahawar also referenced past incidents involving AAP leaders, such as the alleged assault on Delhi Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash in 2018 and Rajya Sabha member Swati Maliwal this year.
As Mahawar spoke, AAP members moved to the well of the House in protest, holding placards criticizing the worsening law and order situation. In response, Speaker Ram Niwas Goel adjourned the House for 10 minutes. “It is the people of Delhi who are scared… it is regrettable that the Opposition was not interested in discussing such a serious issue and disturbed the discussions,” Goel said.
BJP Walks Out, Protests Alleged Neglect of Education Issues
Opposition leader Vijender Gupta stated that BJP lawmakers boycotted the session after their proposal to focus on education and the issue of “Sheesh Mahal” was rejected. The BJP criticized the AAP government’s alleged lavish renovations of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s residence, calling it the “Sheesh Mahal.”
Since the Assembly reconvened on November 29, the law-and-order issue has dominated discussions. Kejriwal has repeatedly criticized the BJP over the state of crime in Delhi. The BJP, in turn, accuses Kejriwal of politicizing the issue to deflect attention from alleged corruption within the AAP government.
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