Delhi Assembly: BJP keeps up trenchant attack on AAP-led government

New Delhi: Keeping up their attack on the eight-day old government, the BJP on the last day of assembly session used every opportunity to attack the Aam Aadmi Party’s way of doing things. The first half hour of the session saw Opposition MLAs unleash a tirade against the newly appointed Speaker MS Dhir for “not following the rules of the House,” “allowing AAP MLAs to violate the sanctity of the Assembly” and “denying them the right to speak in the House.” [caption id=“attachment_1327667” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Speaker of Delhi Assembly MS Dhir. PTI[/caption] Opposition MLAs also raised an uproar over news reports over Law Minister Somnath Bharti’s row with the law secretary over calling a meeting of district judges. Leading the BJP’s charge against the Lieutenant Governor address to Assembly on Monday, senior leader Jagdish Mukhi likened it to a “speech made by a politician in a bazaar not befitting the assembly.” Referring to AAP as “double ‘A’ party”, Mukhi said the LG’s address was nothing more than a replica of AAP manifesto. He criticised the ruling party for making much ado about not having red beacons for cars of MLAs when the Supreme Court had already passed an order on it. In a strongly worded criticism of Kejriwal’s decision to reduce electricity tariff, Mukhi called the move “illegal.” “You have fooled the people of Delhi with announcement of electricity subsidy. The government can give subsidy only when it is earmarked in the Budget. What you have done is illegal,” Mukhi said in the Assembly. On the government’s next big agenda to pass the Jan Lokpal bill, Mukhi said, “The main intention of the Anna Hazare-led movement to pass the Jan Lokpal Bill to make the CBI independent. But there is no CBI here. What Delhi needs is to strengthen the Lokayukta. Jan Lokpal bill is not relevant here.” Mukhi criticised the LG’s address for failing to come up with a roadmap or a time frame to implement the government’s policies and failing to talk about the issue of price rise. On the controversy over AAP leader Prashant Bhushan’s remark on having a referendum on the Army in Kashmir, the BJP leader said, “There can be nothing more shameful than what Prashant Bhushan said about Kashmir. Kashmir is an integral part of India. He should apologise to the nation for what he said.”