The Delhi Assembly is set to discuss the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report today, which alleges corruption in the excise policy. The Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) has launched an attack on the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), while the Congress has demanded an investigation. Additionally, the election of the Deputy Speaker is also expected to take place today. The session is likely to witness further disruptions.
Key Highlights:
- Discussion on the CAG report in the Delhi Assembly.
- Election of the Deputy Speaker expected today.
- Anticipation of chaos in the House.
Jagran Correspondent, New Delhi: AAP MLAs were denied entry into the Delhi Assembly on Thursday. Meanwhile, former CM Atishi criticized the BJP, accusing them of crossing all limits of authoritarianism. Atishi is staging a sit-in protest along with AAP MLAs.
BJP MLA Satish Upadhyay raised the issue of political exploitation of images of revolutionary Bhagat Singh and Dr. B.R. Ambedkar. He highlighted the damage to Bhagat Singh’s statue in Malviya Nagar during the AAP government’s tenure.
The CAG report on the excise policy will be discussed in the Delhi Assembly today. On the third day of the session, all 21 opposition MLAs were absent from the House, having been suspended until Friday. BJP senior leader Vijay Goel arrived to observe the proceedings.
MLA Mohan Singh brought up the issue of contaminated water in Mustafabad, stating that the water pipelines in his constituency were damaged, causing distress to the public.
MLA Anil Sharma from RK Puram also raised concerns about contaminated water and sewer blockages in his area, mentioning that even upscale colonies like Satya Niketan were affected.
Atishi Leads Protest with AAP MLAs
Leader of the Opposition and former CM Atishi, along with AAP MLAs, staged a protest near the barricades. They alleged that the police, on the Speaker’s orders, were preventing AAP MLAs from entering the Assembly premises.
Atishi claimed that police officials stated the AAP MLAs were suspended and thus barred from entering the Assembly complex. She called this move undemocratic and unconstitutional, questioning how they could be stopped. She also mentioned attempting to speak with the Speaker but to no avail.
Atishi Attacks BJP
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Atishi accused the BJP of crossing all limits of authoritarianism since coming to power. She highlighted that AAP MLAs were suspended for three days for chanting “Jai Bhim” slogans and were now being barred from entering the Assembly premises. She stated that such an incident had never occurred in the history of the Delhi Assembly, where elected MLAs were prevented from entering the complex.
The official AAP account also posted on X, condemning the BJP’s authoritarian behavior in Delhi. The post mentioned that AAP MLAs were suspended for chanting Dr. Ambedkar’s slogans and were now being barred from entering the Assembly building. This was described as an attack on democracy and an act of dictatorship.
BJP MLA Criticizes CAG Report
BJP MLA Satish Upadhyay commented on the CAG report, stating that the corruption exposed in the report and the favoritism shown by AAP towards its allies would be discussed today. He claimed that the money meant for Delhi’s welfare had been siphoned off by corrupt individuals. Upadhyay demanded that AAP explain the loss of over ₹2000 crore in revenue to Delhi.
Congress Demands Probe into CAG Report
The Congress has called for an investigation into the issues raised in the CAG report regarding the excise policy. Delhi Congress President Devendra Yadav stated that the report’s findings revealed “loot, lies, and division.” He pointed out that while the AAP government had claimed increased revenue from the excise policy, the CAG report showed a loss of over ₹2002 crore for the Delhi government. Due to the ongoing conflict between the BJP and AAP, the discussion on the report in the Assembly has been stalled.
In a press conference, Yadav demanded a broader investigation into the liquor scam, including a complaint filed by the Congress with the Police Commissioner in September 2022.
Questions Raised on Liquor Licenses
Significant questions regarding the role of senior BJP leaders and the then Lieutenant Governor were ignored in the CAG report. Why were three excise directors replaced within a year, and who made this decision? The then LG had approved the Kejriwal government’s liquor policy, but no investigation has been conducted so far. How were liquor licenses issued in violation of the master plan?
A major question is how liquor shops were allowed to open without the Delhi Municipal Corporation’s approval, especially when the BJP controlled the corporation at the time. Why did the BJP permit the Delhi government to open liquor shops in non-notified areas? The role of political parties associated with AAP in the liquor scam should also be investigated. Former MP Sandeep Dikshit and others were present at the press conference.
