Stormy last day of House doesn't break CM's calm

The last day of the Assembly session started on a stormy note on Tuesday with BJP MLAs accusing the Speaker for curtailing the rights of the opposition by scrapping section 280.

The legislators sought their right to debate and explain their points during the Zero Hour. Before the Speaker could announce the thanksgiving on the LG's speech, the BJP legislators stood up and demanded Zero Hour.

Though the Speaker tried to pacify the MLAs, they staged a brief walkout and returned to their seats immediately.

BJP chief whip Jagdish Mukhi slammed the AAP government for not providing details of their plans. He termed the LG’s speech as emotional and not factual in content.

“The LG’s speech is like repeating AAP’s manifesto. Why are you repeating things like not using red beacons and other things that make you feel aam aadmi? Why is the issue of providing water to every household missing? Please explain when and how you will correct the wrong meters?” Jagdish Mukhi said.

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal responded briefly and politely to the queries and suggestions.

Mukhi cornered Kejriwal over his decision of providing subsidy for fulfilling his promise of slashing power tariff by 50 per cent.

“You have done the same thing that the Congress government used to do – take money from this pocket and adjust it in that pocket. All the money you are spending, that too without mentioning it in the Assembly, is people’s money. Subsidy is not a solution,” said the BJP chief whip.

He also questioned Kejriwal’s stand on the Jan Lokpal, 10 per cent increase in water tariff and accused the government of not taking action against the former Congress government.

“On November 24, 2011 you and your associates filed an FIR against former CM Sheila Dikshit over charges of corruption. Why are you not ready to take action against them?” Jagdish added. He also slammed Law Minister Somnath Bharti for scolding his secretary for not calling a meeting of judges.

Congress leader Harun Yusuf questioned the government’s move of providing subsidy in power tariff.

Another BJP legislator deflated the government’s claim of being the “aam adami’s government”. “I travel on my motorcycle. How can anybody fix a red beacon on a bike? I also belong to a simple family, then why do you claim of having all the world’s simplicity?” he said.

Bombarded with questions from the opposition and ally Congress, Kejriwal responded briefly and smartly.

“The discussion in the Assembly is very meaningful to us. We have got to know many other issues of Delhi apart from what we mentioned in the LG’s speech. I have noted down each and every suggestion and I will certainly work on it. Some people suggested politely, some suggested harshly and some suggested extremely, but we welcome everyone’s suggestions. I will request you people to please keep scolding us and never let us sleep,” he said.

Drawing appreciation from MLAs across party lines, Kejriwal assured that the intention of his government is clean. “We are new. We may not have brains like others but I would like to assure you that our intentions are never wrong. We will work together for betterment of Delhi. We will have to match our souls for this,” he said.