AAP protests outside Delhi L-Gs residence over aldermen nomination, alleges he is destroying Constitution
AAP leaders and workers staged a protest outside the Lieutenant Governors house here on Saturday over 10 aldermen nominated by him to the MCD House being administered oath before the elected representatives, alleging he is “destroying” the Constitution.
The ruling party also claimed that this was part of an “underhanded ploy” to get the aldermen vote in the mayor and deputy mayor elections.
Lt Governor V K Saxena last Tuesday nominated the 10 aldermen to the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), days ahead of the January 6 mayoral elections. The AAP had alleged that all the nominated members were BJP workers and the civic body sent their names directly to Saxena without keeping the city government in the loop.
On Saturday, AAP leaders and workers gathered outside Raj Niwas in the Civil Lines area carrying banners and raised slogans against Saxena.
AAP MLA Atishi, who was a part of the protest, accused the LG of “destroying” the Constitution and going against the Delhi Municipal Corporation (DMC) Act.
“Why were the 10 aldermen nominated bypassing the Delhi government? Why wasnt the senior-most person nominated as the presiding officer? Why were they trying to give voting rights to the aldermen? The LG needs to answer these questions as he is destroying the Constitution,” she told reporters.
She alleged the BJP has been using “illegal ways” to form government in the MCD as they couldnt win the civic polls.
“The BJP and the LG are trying to destroy the Constitution. They should accept their defeat in the civic body elections. Why are they using illegal ways to come to power in MCD?” she posed. Security outside the LGs residence was beefed up with the deployment of a large number of police personnel and barricades put up around the area.
AAP leader Somnath Bharti alleged the LG has been “misusing” his powers. He, however, alleged the AAP will not bow down to it. “The AAP must get their chance to fulfil the promises made in the manifesto. The LG has been misusing his powers but he cannot scare us. They shouldnt forget that AAP is a party that was born out of a protest,” Bharti said. AAP leader Kuldeep Kumar alleged that LG bypassing the Delhi government in its decisions is a “mockery” of the mandate given by the people of Delhi. “The LG is disrespecting the mandate of the two crore people of Delhi. What the LG is doing is nothing but dictatorship. He is acting as an agent of the BJP,” he said.
Meanwhile, AAP councillor Praveen Kumar has filed a police complaint against BJP MP Pravesh Verma and councillors Gajender Singh and Jai Veer Rana, alleging physical assault on Friday.
On Friday, the maiden meeting of the MCD House was adjourned without electing mayor and deputy mayor as the BJP and the AAP councillors exchanged heated words and came to blows over presiding officer Satya Sharma administering of oath to the alderman first and not the elected representatives.
The AAP alleged that the BJP made the aldermen take oath first to get them voting rights for the mayor and deputy mayor elections. The next date for elections will be announced later.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by The Federal staff and is auto-published from a syndicated feed.)
