The Leader of Opposition (LOP) from Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Aatishi sat on a dharna outside the Delhi Assembly premises on Thursday. She further alleged the highhandedness of speaker Vijender Gupta who had suspended 21 MLAs of AAP from the house.

The speaker had initially suspended the MLAs for three-day sitting, but on Thursday it was indicated by the Assembly Secretariat that the suspension has been extended for the entire session, and will continue till March 3.

Responding to this, Aatishib said, “This is happening for the first time in the history of the country that elected representatives are being denied an entry to the legislature. We are not staging a sit-in but have been forced to squat here as the security staff has refused to allow us entry into the premises.”

AAP’s winning face from the Kalkaji constituency Aatishi also addressed that the staff could not provide any document when the suspended MLAs demanded a copy of the speaker’s extended suspension that bans their entry to the premises. She even recalled the Tuesday’s proceedings when MLAs of AAP protested and raised slogans over the removal of Bhimraop Ambedkar and Bhagat Singh’s photo from the Chief Ministers’ office and the Secretariat. She said, “After all, why is the ruling BJP so afraid of Baba Saheb’s name.”

Responding to this minister Pravewsh Verma said, “It is just the beginning. Many firsts are going to take place in the new Assembly because they did nothing constructive in the past 10 years. The misbehavior by the AAP MLAs during the address to the house by LG VK Saxena is a blot on parliamentary practices. The rule book and the convention demand that whether it is the President’s address in the Parliament or the LG’s address in the Legislative Assembly, there has to be discipline and that is why the AAP MLAs have been penalized for their grave offence.”

The BJP has denied all the allegations of rule violation in the Assembly. Let us see till when the 21 MLAs of the AAP stand suspended, and how does the legislative proceedings of the newly-elected Delhi Assembly continue further.