Ruckus continues in House

The ruckus in the Delhi Assembly continued unabated on the third day of the Budget session with Speaker Yoganand Shastri adjourning the House.

The opposition BJP alleged that chief minister Sheila Dikshit provoked her MLAs to disrupt the House proceedings.

The heated exchange between Congress and BJP legislators on Friday began soon after the Question Hour when the Speaker “unfairly” allowed MLA Barkha Singh to speak on the matter related to BJP MLA Ramesh Bidhuri misbehaving with a woman official at her office few days ago.

The Bharatiya Janata Party alleged that Barkha was not scheduled to speak as per the listed agenda of the day. When they objected to it Congressmen got up and started shouting slogans forcing the Speaker to adjourn the House two hours before the scheduled time.

The BJP added that Congress legislators were provoked by the CM to disrupt the proceedings of the House and she should apologise for her behaviour.

“Barkha Singh was unfairly allowed by the Speaker to comment on the matter which is being investigated by police. She had no business to talk about it, more so, because
her name does not figure among the list of legislators who were scheduled to speak and neither does this issue figure in the agenda of the day,” said opposition leader V K Malhotra. “When we protested, Dikshit asked her MLAs to create ruckus.”

Dikshit refused to comment on the deteriorating conditions in Tihar jail where two persons, including the main accused in December 16 gang rape case had committed suicide in the last five days.

Malhotra, under rule 280, Special Mention, reminded the House that since Tihar jail is controlled directly by the city government and Dikshit being the minister-in-charge, she should explain what is being done to improve the overcrowded jails which have become centres of crime.

He even demanded Dikshit’s resignation for her statement to the media that director general of Tihar jail is an IPS officer who reports to the home minister and does not listen to her.

“You say that she (DG) does not listen to you. But you are supposed to control the affairs related to Tihar. Then, in such a case, either you should resign or the DG should have been suspended,” Malhotra said.

The minister concerned may or may not reply to questions or queries mentioned under rule 280. Being the leader of the House and chief minister, Dikshit was expected to comment on the serious issue related to her department. But she chose to keep quiet.