The Delhi Assembly's winter session was thrown into chaos for a second consecutive day on Thursday as a bitter clash between the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over a controversial video clip led to the house being adjourned. The uproar stalled all crucial legislative business, including the passage of important bills.
Speaker's Decisive Action and Political Standoff
In a significant development, Assembly Speaker Vijender Gupta ordered a forensic examination of a video clip featuring remarks made by Leader of Opposition Atishi. The BJP has alleged that her comments insulted the ninth Sikh Guru, Guru Tegh Bahadur. Gupta also referred the matter to the assembly's privileges committee, citing the serious nature of the accusations.
The confrontation escalated as soon as proceedings began. BJP MLAs rushed into the well of the house, demanding Atishi's immediate disqualification. In a countermove, AAP legislators called for the disqualification of BJP minister Kapil Mishra, accusing him of circulating a "manipulated video with a malicious transcription." The speaker's directive for a forensic probe, with a report due within 15 days, came following demands from both sides of the aisle.
Allegations, Counter-Allegations, and Stalled Business
Atishi was not present in the house on Thursday. A day earlier, she had taken to social media platform X to accuse the BJP of adding a fabricated transcript to her video to insert Guru Tegh Bahadur's name. However, Kapil Mishra remained adamant, stating, "Everyone saw the video. It cannot be denied... Atishi insulted the Gurus and then fled the house like a professional criminal."
The persistent ruckus forced the speaker to adjourn the house twice before finally calling off the day's sitting. This resulted in a complete washout of all listed business, which included:
- Presentation of supplementary demands for grants.
- Passage of the appropriation bill.
- Consideration of the court fees bill, Jan Vishwas Bill, and shops bills.
- Tabling of CAG audit reports.
Consequently, the winter session has been extended by one day until Friday to address the pending agenda.
Reactions and the Road Ahead
Delhi Congress president Devender Yadav criticized both major parties, accusing them of squandering taxpayers' money by continuously stalling the assembly. Meanwhile, BJP leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa emphasized the need for a discussion on Delhi's pollution crisis, questioning AAP's track record over the past 11 years.
PWD Minister Parvesh Verma expressed hope that discussions would be held and bills passed on Friday. He also indicated that a special session of the assembly would be convened after the forensic report on the video is received, setting the stage for the next phase of this political battle.
