BJP MLA O P Sharma faces fresh trouble

In more trouble for BJP MLA OP Sharma, the Ethics Committee of Delhi Assembly has decided to recommend stripping off his membership of the House in connection with a case of hurling "sexist" comments on a woman AAP legislator.
The move comes days after the Viswas Nagar MLA was caught on camera beating a CPI activist in the Patiala House court complex when JNUSU leader Kanhaiya Kumar was being brought. Sharma was arrested yesterday and later released on bail.
In his reaction to the recommendation by the Ethics Committee, Sharma called the move "an attack on democracy", adding, he had an indication about such a possibility five months ago as the panel has only AAP MLAs.

In the middle of Winter session of the Assembly in November last year, Delhi Assembly Speaker Ram Niwas Goel had suspended Sharma for rest of the session for using derogatory language against AAP MLA Alka Lamba inside the House. Goel had also referred the matter to the Ethics Committee of the House for further probe.
The BJP wondered how a confidential report was "leaked" and that it may seek legal recourse on the matter.
Sources said the Ethics Committee of the House has decided to recommend expulsion of the BJP MLA from the Assembly in connection with the case. The committee will meet on Monday again and is expected to discuss the issue.

The sources said the committee's recommendations in the case are likely to be tabled during the Budget Session of the assembly next month. The House is likely to take a final decision on Sharma's membership.

They further said that the Committee has held that BJP legislator is a "habitual offender" besides being "unapologetic" over his "misbehaviour".
"The Committee in its several meetings had given Sharma an opportunity to apologise to Lamba, but he refused to do so. Since Sharma refused to apologise to Lamba, the committee has concluded that his conduct is unbecoming.
"In view of this, the committee will recommend that the BJP legislator be expelled from the Delhi Assembly," a sources said.

Slamming the move, Sharma said, "I had an indication about the move five months ago because the committee consists of AAP MLAs. The recommendation to expel me from the Delhi Assembly is an attack on democracy."
In December, the Delhi Assembly had passed a resolution on recovering Rs 18,560 from Sharma's salary towards the cost incurred in replacing a mike he had damaged during the Budget Session and warned him not to repeat such action.
Sharma was caught on camera beating a CPI activist at Patiala House court complex on Monday. He was arrested for the assault yesterday and released on bail.

He was questioned for around eight hours at the Tilak Marg police station in connection with the case.
Leader of Opposition in the Delhi Vidhan Vijender Gupta came down heavily on the Ethics Committee, wondering how content of a confidential report became public before it was placed in the house.
"It cannot be placed in public domain until and unless it has been put before the House. This is a serious breach of Privilege of the Vidhan Sabha," he said adding BJP will seek judicial intervention into the illegal recommendation of the panel.