New Delhi, February 28: Delhi Assembly Leader of Opposition (LoP) Atishi on Friday expressed her strong discontent over the suspension of 21 Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLAs, calling it an “injustice to the opposition” and a violation of democratic principles. In a letter to Speaker Vijender Gupta, Atishi urged him to uphold democratic values and ensure fairness in the House.
“I am writing this letter with great pain and sorrow. The biggest strength of democracy is its fairness and equality. But what happened in the Delhi Assembly in the past few days is not only an injustice to the opposition MLAs but also a severe blow to democratic values,” Atishi wrote.
Atishi highlighted that during the February 25, 2025, session, while opposition MLAs raised slogans of ‘Jai Bhim’ in respect of Baba Saheb Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar, no action was taken against any ruling party MLAs who raised slogans of ‘Modi-Modi’. In contrast, 21 opposition MLAs were suspended for three days for raising the slogan ‘Jai Bhim’.
She criticized the Speaker for not taking action against any ruling party MLA and also for preventing the suspended MLAs from holding a peaceful protest outside the assembly premises. “This is an insult not only to the MLAs but also to the mandate given by the people,” Atishi stated.
Atishi further urged the Speaker, who she called the “guardian of the assembly,” to ensure that all MLAs, regardless of their party affiliation, are treated equally. “It is the duty of the guardian to do equal justice to all the MLAs, whether they are from the ruling party or the opposition. I urge you to protect the democratic values and ensure that no MLA is deprived of his constitutional rights,” she added.
The controversy began on February 25 when Speaker Vijender Gupta suspended AAP MLAs, including Atishi and Gopal Rai, after an uproar during the tabling of the CAG report. The situation escalated when the suspended MLAs were prevented from holding a peaceful protest near the assembly, leading to further tensions.