MCD meeting violence: BJP demands suspension of AAP MLAs in letter to LG Saxena

New Delhi [India], January 7 : A day after chaos and a clash between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Aam Aadmi Party councillors at the Civic Center marred the mayoral elections for the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, the saffron on Saturday wrote to Delhi's Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena demanding suspension of all AAP MLAs nominated by the Speaker to the MCD for at least three meetings of the civic body as punishment for orchestrating the violence.
BJP's Delhi spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor, in his letter to L-G Saxena, said he was deeply aggrieved and pained to see the violence that erupted during the MCD meeting on Friday.
"Sir, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi has been in existence since 1958 and has been a house of illustrious citizens of Delhi like Guru Radha Kishan, Pt. Thick Sharma, Anna Asaf Ali, Nuruddin Ahmed, Lala Hans Raj Gupta, HKL Bhagat, Rajnarain Khanna, Mushtaq Rai Khanna, Kedar Nath Sahani, Satya Narain Bansal, Mahendra Singh Saathi, Ch. Surat Singh, Shanti Desai, Ram Babu Sharma, Subash Arya, Vijendra Gupta in past and Prof. Rajni Abbi, Mukesh Goel, Harsh Malhotra, Kamaljeet Sehrawat in recent years who all have set up exemplary examples with their conduct in MCD meetings," Kapoor wrote.
The BJP spokesperson further said the violence and scuffles seen on Friday during the MCD meeting have no parallel in the 64 years history of the MCD.
"Sir Municipal Corporation is supposed to be a house reflective of Delhi's culture and I am deeply aggrieved by yesterday's incidents in MCD which have shamed every citizen born and brought up in Delhi," he wrote.
Kapoor further said it was a 'horrible experience' to see chairs being thrown and members climbing over the podium of the Presiding Officer in a House where the tradition has been for the new members to touch the feet of the presiding officers (Mayors) after being sworn in.
"In anguish, I saw many videos and photographs of yesterday's violence in the MCD meet and I have understood that the meeting was called for 11 am and all BJP Councilor elects, MPs, MLA and the Aldermen nominated by you took their seats by 11 am but the Pam Aadmi Party Councilors elect MPs and nominated MLAs cane in as a group at around 11:40 am and within seconds the house saw sloganeering and in 5 minutes an all-out ruckus broke out," he wrote.
"Several pictures and videos going around in social media clearly show senior Aem Aadmi Party MLAs mainly Atishi, Sardar Jarnail Singh, Durgesh Pathak, Sanjay Jha instigating new Councilors to create ruckus and throwing around abuses and chairs. Infect there are pictures of Jarnail Singh atop the podium of Presiding Officer and Durgesh Pathak lifting a chair in the air while Atishi can be seen showing anger with raised hands," he added.
He further claimed that the nominated AAP MLAs were behind the ruckus.
"Sir it won't be an exaggeration if I say that apparently, it were the nominated MLAs of the Aam Aadmi Party who are responsible for creating all the ruckus and to be fair I cite that there are videos of a senior most Councilor of this House who too now belongs to Aam Aadmi Party Mukesh Goel silently standing and appearing to be upset over the things going around," he said.
The BJP spokesperson further urged that the AAP MLAs be suspended from MCD House meetings.
"Sir under the DMC Act 1957 amended as on date you as Administrator or the Presiding Officer of the MCD are empowered under Section 79 to suspend from the MCD House meetings members indulging in unruly behaviour. As most Aam Aadmi Party Councilors are new so they acted instantly on the instigation of their senior MLAs. Hence, I take this opportunity to urge you to immediately seek videos, pictures and report from Commissioner MCD and thereafter suspend all 13 nominated Aam Aadmi Party MIAs for the next 3 meetings of the House," he said.
"A warning reprimand be issued to all Councilors elect irrespective of their political affiliation to keep their conduct in tandem with the past precedence of their predecessor members," Kapoor added.
Councillors from both parties clashed and raised slogans against each other ahead of the polls to elect the Delhi Mayor.
Marshals had to be called in as several councillors were injured in the melee.
A huge ruckus broke out at the Civic Centre, before the commencement of voting for the mayoral elections, over the swearing-in of nominated councillors.
There was high drama for over an hour on a day the first single mayor in 10 years, after the integration of the MCD last year.
High-pitched ruckus prevailed in the House as the presiding officer invited aldermen Manoj Kumar to take the oath first. The presiding officer, MCD commissioner and other officials left the House after the ruckus.
As the House was adjourned, the L-G House issued a clarification saying that any attempts to deviate from the decision or create confusion regarding it by the Aam Aadmi Party is nothing but its characteristic politics of deceit, blatant lies and deliberate attempts at misleading.
Along with the post of mayor and deputy mayor, the standing committee members are also to be elected.
Seven candidates are in the fray for 6 posts in the Standing Committee. The AAP has fielded Amil Malik, Raminder Kaur, Mohini Jeenwal and Sarika Chowdhary while the BJP has fielded Kamaljeet Sehrawat, Gajendra Daral and Pankaj Luthra as its candidates for the Standing Committee.
Along with this, 7 Lok Sabha MPs of Delhi, 3 Rajya Sabha MPs and 14 MLAs among the nominated persons, on the consent of the Speaker of the Delhi Legislative Assembly, will also take part in the voting.
The AAP has named Aaley Mohammad Iqbal and Jalaj Kumar as its contenders for the deputy mayor's post. They are pitted against the BJP's Ram Nagar councillor Kamal Bagri.