Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government today contended in Delhi High Court that BJP MLA O P Sharma, who was suspended from Delhi Legislative Assembly for two sessions for allegedly making derogatory remarks against AAP MLA Alka Lamba, has misled the court by saying he was thrice suspended for his comments, a charge denied by him.
The Delhi government made the allegation while opposing maintainability of Sharma's plea challenging his suspension from the Delhi legislative assembly for two sessions.
Denying the charge, Sharma's counsel on the other hand said the Delhi legislative assembly's decision to suspend him was "patently illegal" as it infringed the freedom of speech privilege available to a legislator.
After hearing the arguments on behalf of Sharma and the Delhi government, Justice Manmohan reserved his decision on the maintainability of the BJP legislator's plea.
During the arguments, senior advocate Sudhir Nandrajog contended before the court that Sharma has come with "unclean hands" as he has stated that he was suspended thrice for making derogatory remarks against Lamba, whereas he has been suspended only twice and one of them was for using unparliamentary language against the Speaker of the House at a press conference.
He said that for making such "incorrect" statement in his plea, the petition ought to be dismissed.
Nandrajog also said the Delhi Assembly should not have been made a party in the matter and it should have been the Delhi government instead, adding that the plea was "not maintainable".
Senior advocate Aman Lekhi, appearing for Sharma, denied the government's claims and said the BJP lawmaker was suspended thrice, first for two days, then for a session and now for two more sessions of the House.
He also said the Delhi legislative assembly cannot be "immune" from being made a party and added that the AAP government "cannot by brute force of majority do what you whim".
