Page 7 - Delhi Assembly

Conspiracy to keep me in jail till Delhi Assembly polls failed: Sisodia

Senior AAP leader Manish Sisodia as part of his 'Padyatra' campaign met people of his Patparganj constituency on Saturday, and alleged the BJP's "conspiracy" to keep him in jail till the Delhi Assembly polls failed due to the blessings of Lord Hanuman. The former deputy CM of Delhi, without naming any party leaders, said the central government agencies registered such cases against him and Kejriwal that are registered against terrorists and drug mafia. "I have come among my brothers and sisters of Patparganj after 17 months. They (BJP) tried to keep me in jail somehow in fake cases till Delhi Assembly polls. But due to the blessings of Bajrangbali and Ram ji, their conspiracies failed," Sisodia said addressing a gathering of people. He said AAP convenor and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal too will be out of prison. People greeted Sisodia with garlands and some women also tied 'rakhi' to him. He asked about their well-being and told them to contact him if they faced any ...

Subsidies on power, water, bus fare to stay, says Delhi LG Saxena

Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena on Saturday said the ongoing electricity, water and bus fare subsidies will continue in Delhi and people need not pay attention to "rumours" spread by "vested political interests". According to a press statement issued by the Raj Niwas here, rumours are being propagated that the central government and the lieutenant governor would stop the subsidy schemes. Saxena has taken serious note of "patently false and deliberately misleading" statements by members of a particular political party and its ministers that the schemes and subsidies pertaining to "free" electricity, water and bus rides for women will be stopped since Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is in jail, the statement said. No immediate reaction was available from the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) or its government in Delhi. The statement said that Saxena has assured the people of Delhi that none of the subsidy schemes benefitting the poor would be discontinued and appealed to them to not pay heed

Lok Sabha elections: MCD removes over 520,000 political ads in Delhi

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has removed 5,20,042 political advertisements from across its 12 zones in view of the Model Code of Conduct for the Lok Sabha elections, according to an official document. The advertisements were in the form of hoardings, posters, banners, wall paintings, signages and flags, it stated. The Model Code of Conduct (MCC) came into force on March 16 with the Election Commission (EC) announcing the schedule for the general elections. Delhi will vote on May 25 in the sixth phase of the seven-phase polls. Counting of votes is on June 4. The civic body has taken down 2,57,280 hoardings, 1,92,601 banners or wall paintings and posters, 40,022 removable signages and 30,139 removable flags, the document issued on Monday said. The action pertains to the EC's directives to take down all political advertisements from government, public and private properties in view of the MCC being in force till the elections conclude. According to the EC's order, any kin

Delhi Assembly adjourned amid protest by AAP MLAs against Kejriwal's arrest

Proceedings of the Delhi Assembly were adjourned for 15 minutes shortly after the House convened on Tuesday as AAP MLAs protested against Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's arrest in a money laundering case. Before the commencement of the session, the AAP MLAs staged a protest outside the assembly and raised slogans demanding Kejriwal's immediate release. Party leaders, including Atishi and Saurabh Bharadwaj, were among those who were part of the protest. They were dressed in yellow T-shirts with slogans like "Main Bhi Kejriwal" and "Modi ka Sabse Bada Dar Kejriwal" written on them. "Today, all AAP MLAs are protesting against the illegal arrest of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. Efforts are being made to end democracy in the country. For the first time in the history of the country, a sitting CM has been arrested and that too just before the national elections," Atishi told reporters. Kejriwal was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate last week in connection with the money launderi

Delhi Assembly cancels scheduled sitting; next session set for March 27

Kajriwal, the AAP National Convenor was arrested on Thursday evening in a money laundering case related to an alleged liquor policy scam

Delhi HC to pass order on plea by BJP MLAs against suspension today

The Delhi High Court will pronounce its verdict on Wednesday on petitions filed by seven BJP MLAs from the city challenging their indefinite suspension from the Legislative Assembly for interrupting Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena's address at the start of the Budget session. Justice Subramonium Prasad reserved the order on the pleas on February 27 after hearing the counsel for the suspended legislators and the Assembly. The seven Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLAs -- Mohan Singh Bisht, Ajay Mahawar, O P Sharma, Abhay Verma, Anil Bajpai, Jitender Mahajan and Vijender Gupta -- moved the court last month challenging their suspension from the Assembly till the conclusion of the proceedings before the privileges committee. The pronouncement is scheduled to take place at 2:30 pm. The MLAs had contended that their suspension till the conclusion of the proceedings before the privileges committee was in violation of the applicable rules. The Assembly authorities had, on the other hand, assu

Delhi Budget FY24-25: Focus on education, women, and health. All details

Delhi Finance Minister Atishi introduced the Delhi government's Budget of Rs 76,000 crore for the fiscal year 2024-25 in the state Assembly

HC reserves order on BJP MLAs' pleas against suspension from Delhi Assembly

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday reserved its order on the pleas by seven BJP MLAs challenging their indefinite suspension from the legislative assembly for interrupting Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena's address at the start of the budget session. Justice Subramonium Prasad asked the parties to file short written submissions, if any, within two days. The court was hearing petitions by the BJP MLAs -- Mohan Singh Bisht, Ajay Mahawar, O P Sharma, Abhay Verma, Anil Bajpai, Jitender Mahajan and Vijender Gupta -- challenging their indefinite suspension from the assembly till the conclusion of the proceedings before the privileges committee. Earlier, the court had asked the privileges committee of the Delhi Assembly to hold off its proceedings against the suspended MLAs in view of the pendency of the matter before it. The MLAs, represented through senior advocate Jayant Mehta, had contended their suspension till the conclusion of the proceedings before the privileges committee was in ...

'Delhi model' showing direction to whole country, says Kejriwal in Assembly

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday said the Delhi governance model is showing direction to the entire country in terms of education, health and electricity. Kejriwal was highlighting the achievements of his government in Delhi in the three sectors during an address in the Assembly. Before he began, the chief minister asked the members to salute senior Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Manish Sisodia, who was arrested the same day last year by the CBI in connection with the Delhi excise policy case. "The AAP government has undertaken so much work in Delhi that was not done in the last 75 years. Today, the 'Delhi model' is showing direction to the entire country. I will talk about three sectors -- health, education and electricity," he said. Kejriwal said almost four to five lakh students in Delhi have left private schools and sought admissions to government ones. "If we can provide good education to poor children in Delhi, it can also be done in the country. Why are government sch

You cannot cheat every time: Lekhi accuses AAP of politics over water bill

She strongly condemned Arvind Kejriwal over allegations of scams within the Jal Board and alleged that the AAP government is staging a Dharna against its own officials

Delhi LG asks Kejriwal to table CAG reports in Assembly Budget session

Delhi LG V K Saxena has written a letter to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal regarding five CAG reports "pending" with Finance Minister Atishi since August, 2023. Saxena has requested the chief minister to advise the finance minister to "expeditiously process" the important reports concerning state finances so that they can be tabled in the ongoing budget session of the Delhi Assembly. The reports of Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) are constitutionally mandated independent and impartial assessment of the performance of the government and in many ways are a guidance document for assessment of its financial performance, said the LG in his letter. "It is an obligation of the government of the day to share with the people, through the House, an objective account of its performance - revenue and expenditure of public funds," he noted. The letter stated that the LG secretariat received copies of communications from controller of accounts to the finance minister's secretary,

AAP protests delay of one-time settlement scheme; House adjourned for day

AAP MLAs trooped into the well of the Delhi Assembly and protested against the stalling of the one-time settlement scheme for rectifying water bills, leading the speaker to adjourn the House for the day. After the special mention of issues related to constituencies of MLAs under Rule 280, the AAP members trooped into the well of the House and raised slogans against the BJP, accusing it of putting pressure on officers to stall the scheme. They demanded that the Lt Governor suspend the officers responsible for obstructing the scheme. Speaker Ram Niwas Goel tried to pacify the AAP members and asked them to take their seats but, as the protesting MLAs refused to budge, he adjourned the House for half an hour. When the House reconvened, the AAP MLAs again trooped into the well and raised slogans. Goel again requested the MLAs to go back to their seats but they continued to raise slogans. Finally, the speaker adjourned the House till 11 am on Wednesday. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal,

'Will you apologise to L-G,' Delhi HC asks seven suspended BJP MLAs

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday asked seven BJP MLAs, suspended from the Delhi Assembly for interrupting the lieutenant governor's address, if they were willing to apologise to him. Justice Subramonium Prasad asked the senior counsel appearing for the suspended legislators to take instructions on this aspect after the senior lawyer for the assembly said a similar approach was adopted in the Supreme Court in the case of MP Raghav Chadha. Appearing for the assembly, senior advocate Sudhir Nandrajog said the matter is not political and it involves the dignity of the office of the LG. "I spoke to the speaker. He also suggested the route followed by the Supreme Court in Raghav Chadha's case. If members were to come and meet the speaker and apologise to the LG, the whole thing could be put through," he said. Senior advocate Jayant Mehta, appearing for the MLAs, said there was no difficulty in apologising to the LG. The court asked the petitioners' counsel to come back in the post-lunch

Grave constitutional crisis has arisen in Delhi, says Kejriwal in Assembly

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday said a "serious constitutional crisis" has arisen in the national capital as officers are saying they will not work because of alleged "threats and pressure" from the BJP. This problem stems from Delhi not enjoying full statehood and the real power lies with the central government, which is led by a different party, and "that other party does not want that the elected government (of Delhi) does its work", he said during his address in the Delhi Assembly. Kejriwal also said the one-time settlement scheme to rectify water bills is being "obstructed" by some officers. The chief minister alleged that the officers are being threatened to block the one-time settlement scheme for correcting water bills because of pressure from the BJP. There was no immediate reaction from the BJP. Kejriwal also claimed the officers' unwillingness to work has led to a "serious constitutional crisis" in Delhi. He appealed to Lt Governor VK Saxena to call the

Seven BJP MLAs move Delhi HC challenging suspension from Budget session

Seven BJP MLAs approached the Delhi High Court on Monday challenging their suspension for the remainder of the Budget session of the Delhi Assembly for interrupting the Lieutenant Governor's address. The plea was mentioned for urgent listing before a bench of Acting Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Manmeet PS Arora which allowed it to be heard during the day itself. The BJP MLAs had allegedly interrupted Lt Governor VK Saxena multiple times during his address on February 15 highlighting achievements of the AAP government, as they sought to attack the Arvind Kejriwal government on a range of issues. Senior Advocate Jayant Mehta mentioned the matter, saying the MLAs were suspended wrongly and their right to participate in the proceedings is being affected. He said the motion to suspend the MLAs is unconstitutional and contrary to the rules. He further said that at the most, the MLAs could be suspended for a period of three days but here the suspension is indefinite. AAP MLA Dili

AAP govt wins trust vote in Delhi Assembly, CM says no party MLA defected

The Aam Aadmi Party government on Saturday won a trust vote in the 70-member Delhi Assembly with Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal claiming that his party has emerged as the biggest challenger to the BJP, which "wants to crush it by any means". Kejriwal, who is also the national convener of the AAP, won the confidence motion with the support of 54 MLAs and said no legislator of his party defected. Out of 62 AAP MLAs in the Delhi Assembly, 54 were present in the House during the trust vote, two were in jail, two others were unwell, three were out of station and one was not present due to a wedding in his family, the AAP national convener said. Kejriwal had moved the motion of confidence in the Assembly on Friday and accused the BJP of trying to poach his party's MLAs. Since seven of the eight BJP legislators were suspended for the remainder of the session for allegedly interfering during the Lieutenant Governor's address on Thursday, Leader of Opposition Ramvir Singh Bidhuri was the on

Motion of confidence: Delhi Assembly initiates discussion moved by CM

The Delhi Assembly on Saturday initiated a discussion on the motion of confidence brought by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who alleged that the BJP tried to poach AAP MLAs to topple his government. Starting the discussion, the AAP's Kasturba Nagar MLA Madan Lal alleged that the BJP was persistently trying to "fail" and "paralyse" the Kejriwal government -- either by poaching party MLAs or interfering in its workings. Leader of Opposition Ramvir Singh Bidhuri, the lone opposition representative in the House following the suspension of BJP members for the session, was not present when the discussion began. This is the third motion of confidence of the Kejriwal government in the last three years. It comes amid the AAP's claims that the BJP wanted to break the party by offering money to its MLAs and toppling its government in Delhi. The previous confidence motions came in August 2022 and March 2023, amid AAP allegations that the BJP was carrying out "Operation Lotus" to poach its ..

CM Arvind Kejriwal moves a motion of confidence in Delhi Assembly

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said he will seek vote of confidence in the Assembly on Friday. The announcement came days after he alleged that the BJP tried to poach AAP MLAs and topple his government. "I will bring the vote of confidence in Delhi Assembly today," Kejriwal said in a post on X in Hindi. However, he did not specify the reason behind the move.

7 BJP MLAs suspended from Delhi Assembly's Budget session for disruptions

Seven BJP MLAs were on Friday suspended for the remainder of the Budget session of the Delhi Assembly for interrupting the Lt Governor's address. The BJP MLAs had interrupted Lt Governor VK Saxena multiple times during his address on Thursday as they sought to attack the Arvind Kejriwal government. Delhi Assembly Speaker Ram Niwas Goel had also sent the matter of disruption to the Privileges Committee. AAP MLA Dilip Pandey moved a resolution in the House seeking action on this issue, which was accepted by the Speaker. Pandey said that opposition members on Thursday acted in an "planned manner" while disrupting the LG's address which lowered the prestige of the House. "It was unprecedented and unfortunate," he said. While reading out from the rule book, he said the behaviour of the opposition members has lowered the dignity of the House, and demanded action. Speaker Goel while accepting the resolution of Pandey, said the matter be sent to the Privileges Committee. Seven members

One Nation One Election committee holds consultation meeting with AAP, RPI

Continuing the consultations, the HLC also had interactions with Pankaj Kumar Gupta, National Secretary and Jasmine Shah, senior leader of Aam Aadmi Party