MCD House Ruckus: AAP, BJP Hold Separate Protests; LG 'Destroying' Constitution, Says Atish
Representational Image. Image Courtesy: PTI
New Delhi: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) staged a protest outside the Lt Governor's house here on Saturday over 10 aldermen nominated by him to the MCD House being administered oath before the elected representatives, alleging that he is "destroying" the Constitution.
The ruling party claimed this was part of an "underhanded ploy" to get the aldermen to vote in the mayor and deputy mayor elections.
Lt Governor V K Saxena on Tuesday nominated the 10 aldermen to the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), days before the January 6 mayoral elections.
The AAP had alleged that all the nominated members were BJP workers and the civic body sent their names directly to Saxena without keeping the city government in the loop.
On Saturday, AAP leaders and workers gathered outside Raj Niwas in Civil Lines carrying banners and raised slogans against Saxena.
Senior AAP leader Atishi, who was a part of the protest, alleged the LG is "destroying" the Constitution and going against the Delhi Municipal Corporation (DMC) Act.
"Why were the 10 aldermen nominated bypassing the Delhi government? Why wasn't the seniormost person nominated as the presiding officer? Why were they trying to give voting rights to the aldermen? The LG needs to answer these questions as he is destroying the Constitution," she told reporters.
Aldermen refers to people who are experts in their fields. However, they do not have voting rights in the mayoral election.
Security outside the LG's residence was beefed up, with a large number of police personnel deployed at the spot and barricades put up around the area.
On Friday, the maiden meeting of the MCD House was adjourned without electing mayor and deputy mayor as the BJP and the AAP councillors exchanged heated words and came to blows over presiding officer Satya Sharma administering of oath to the alderman first and not the elected representatives.
The AAP alleged that the BJP made the aldermen take oath first in order to get them voting rights for the mayor and deputy mayor elections.
The next date for elections will be announced later.
Delhi BJP Protests at Rajghat
Delhi BJP leaders including working president Virendra Sachdeva on Saturday staged a sit-in near the Mahatma Gandhi memorial at Rajghat here over alleged ruckus created by AAP councillors in a meeting of the municipal corporation.
The BJP leaders including MPs Harsh Vardhan and Ramesh Bidhuri slammed the AAP saying "hooliganism by its councilors in the MCD meeting on Friday showed its anarchic face".
The AAP councillors had protested against the oath of aldermen in the meeting of Municipal Corporation of Delhi(MCD) House that escalated into a ruckus in which several persons were injured.
"Kejriwal taking the name of Mahatma Gandhi formed the Aam Aadmi Party. Gandhi's soul must be anguished by what AAP councilors did in the MCD House," Bidhuri said.
The MCD House meeting was adjourned due to the ruckus and election of mayor and deputy mayor as well as members of standing committee of the civic body could not be held.
On Friday, the BJP and AAP accused each other of assaulting its councillors in a scuffle that broke out in the MCD House on Friday, with the AAP alleging that the BJP made the alderman take oath first to get them voting rights for the election to Mayor and Deputy Mayor.
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