New Delhi [India], February 27: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA and Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Delhi Assembly, Atishi, along with several other AAP legislators, staged a protest outside the Delhi Vidhan Sabha on Thursday after being denied entry to the premises. The protest, which involved holding ‘Jai Bhim’ placards, came in response to what Atishi described as an “undemocratic and unconstitutional” move.
Atishi, addressing the media, questioned the decision to bar suspended legislators from entering the Assembly premises, pointing out that similar actions have not been taken in other legislative bodies, such as Parliament and various state assemblies. She emphasized that elected representatives have the right to be present in the Assembly complex, even if they are not permitted inside the House itself.
Atishi said, “Police officers are saying that we (AAP MLAs) are suspended from the assembly, so we will not even be allowed to enter the assembly premises. This is undemocratic and unconstitutional… To date, this has never happened in the history of the country… Even in Parliament, there are protests under the Gandhi statue even after being suspended… After all, how can we be stopped? We tried to talk to the Speaker but nothing was happening.”
She further cited examples of other legislative bodies, stating, “If you see Delhi Legislative Assembly, Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly, Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly, Madhya Pradesh Legislative Assembly, elected legislators are never stopped. Even when suspended in Parliament, an elected parliamentarian is never stopped. Therefore, protests often take place in Parliament even after being suspended under the Gandhi statue. Often even in the Delhi Legislative Assembly, when the Bharatiya Janata Party was in opposition, they used to protest under the statue of Gandhi ji under the statue of Ambedkar.”
Reaffirming her stance, she continued, “We are suspended from the house. Being suspended from the house does not mean that we are suspended from the assembly premises. We are elected legislators. We have the right to go to the assembly premises. How are we being prevented from going to the assembly premises?”
The protest came after Speaker Vijender Gupta suspended 12 AAP MLAs, including Atishi and AAP MLA Gopal Rai, amid growing tensions in the Assembly. The suspension occurred just before the tabling of the CAG (Comptroller and Auditor General) report.