BJP can't stop us from going to our offices: Suspended AAP MLAs stopped at Delhi Assembly gates

New Delhi: The four Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLAs who were suspended for allegedly disrupting Lieutenant Governor V.K. Saxena's address were stopped by the police from entering the Delhi Assembly premises on Wednesday, triggering a sharp political confrontation between the ruling BJP and the Opposition.

AAP MLAs Som Dutt, Jarnail Singh, Kuldeep Kumar and Sanjeev Jha had been penalised on Tuesday for disrupting the Lieutenant Governor's address during the opening of the first session of the year.

On Wednesday, when they attempted to enter the Assembly complex, police personnel stopped their vehicles outside the premises.

The suspended MLAs strongly criticised the BJP-led Delhi government over the move, alleging that the ruling party was "undermining" the Constitution.

They argued that while they had been barred from participating in Assembly proceedings, there was no legal basis to prevent them from entering the Assembly premises or accessing their offices.

Speaking to IANS, AAP MLA Kuldeep Kumar said, "The Bharatiya Janata Party does not want the House to function. They suspended us from the House because we were wearing masks, and then they said the suspension was not because of masks. If it was not for that reason, then why were we suspended? And now you are suspending an MLA for three days, how can you stop me from going anywhere or entering the premises? This is unconstitutional."

"We are saying that we will not attend the proceedings for three days, even though it is against the traditions of the House, but still, we are being stopped from even going to our offices," he added.

Jarnail Singh, also speaking to IANS, compared the situation to authoritarian rule.

"Those who wish to see the era of British rule's dictatorship, the Mughal era, or want to go back to old times, can come outside the Delhi Assembly today and witness this dictatorship. Elected MLAs are being stopped on the road outside the Assembly by putting up barricades. We were barred from attending the House proceedings for three days, but without any order, our vehicles are being stopped," he said.

He further claimed that even after officials produced the suspension order, it did not restrict their entry into the Assembly offices.

"After much effort, when these officials were able to present the order to us, it was not written anywhere that we cannot enter our offices," he added.

The controversy stems from Tuesday's events, when the first Assembly session of the year began with Lieutenant Governor V.K. Saxena's address.

AAP MLAs interrupted the speech, protesting against air pollution in the national Capital. Following the disruptions, Speaker Vijender Gupta ordered several Opposition members to be marshalled out of the House.

While the Lieutenant Governor was delivering his address inside the House, AAP MLAs were also seen protesting outside the Assembly wearing gas masks. Subsequently, the Public Works Department and Legislative Affairs Minister Parvesh Verma moved a formal resolution seeking the suspension of the four MLAs identified as the primary agitators.

Speaker Gupta said the four legislators had shown contempt towards the House and the Lieutenant Governor by causing disturbances without any valid reason, leading to their suspension.

IANS