New Delhi

Delhi Assembly Speaker Vijender Gupta on Tuesday suspended 21 Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) legislators from attending proceedings for the next three sittings, even as the session was extended by three days to discuss the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report on the excise policy tabled in the House.

The suspended AAP legislators, including Leader of Opposition Atishi, were marshalled out of the House for disrupting proceedings, shouting "Jai Bhim" slogans, and demanding the restoration of photos of Dr B.R. Ambedkar and Shaheed Bhagat Singh in the office of Chief Minister Rekha Gupta. The Chief Minister has denied the charge.

Notably, AAP MLA from Okhla, Amanatullah Khan, was the only one among 22 MLAs not to be suspended, as he was not present in the House on Tuesday.

Later, Speaker Gupta told reporters that the suspension of AAP legislators will remain in force on February 25, 27, and 28.

“Maintaining the honour of the House is our top priority. The AAP legislators adopted unethical behaviour when the LG was trying to follow his constitutional duty,” he said.

Gupta added that the CAG report on the excise policy would be referred to the Public Accounts Committee following discussions in the House. He also indicated that additional CAG reports are likely to be tabled, prompting the extension of the session until March 3.

During the vote of thanks on Lieutenant Governor V.K. Saxena’s address, former Gandhi Nagar legislator and Delhi Minister Arvinder Singh Lovely called for a special sitting of the House to discuss the CAG report, describing it as an “extraordinary situation that requires exposing corruption of the previous government.”

Lovely noted that while a CAG report is typically sent to the Public Accounts Committee, the gravity of this case necessitates a special session.

Criticising the protest by AAP legislators, Lovely remarked, “They are trying to hide behind the photo of B.R. Ambedkar and Shaheed Bhagat Singh.”

“Did Bhagat Singh ever say that a government should indulge in a liquor scam or a school scam?” he asked, accusing the AAP government of disrespecting Dr Ambedkar by failing to adhere to constitutional practices.

“The AAP government disrespected Ambedkar by quashing Question Hour from the Delhi Assembly’s proceedings. They took away the democratic right of legislators to raise questions in the public interest,” he added.

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The day’s Assembly proceedings commenced with the LG’s address, in which he pledged to provide Rs 2,500 every month to women in Delhi.

LG Saxena also highlighted the ‘Viksit Delhi’ manifesto as the guiding principle of the new government, reiterating its commitment to delivering a corruption-free administration.