Budget session starts on stormy note

Ananya Panda

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, March 16

On expected lines the Budget Session started on an uproarious note as the opposition BJP vociferously opposed the presence of Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot, citing his disqualification over the office-of-profit charges before its four MLAs were marshalled out after they rushed into the well of the House with their demand.

Hoping to corner the AAP government, Leader of Opposition Vijender Gupta, later accompanied by his party MLAs Om Prakash Sharma, Jagdish Pradhan and Manjinder Singh Sirsa, insisted for raising the issue as a “point of order” despite Assembly Speaker Ram Niwas Goel’s refusal while LG Anil Baijal stood on to deliver his address.

The Speaker, who pulled up the BJP saying that a point of order cannot be allowed during the LG’s address, ruled that the behaviour of the Opposition has “demeaned” the office of the LG and this assembly while observing that the move was aimed at “creating controversy”.

In his ruling Goel cited Section 43 (2) of the NCT Act stating, “I would like to clarify... that he (Gahlot) can continue as a minister for six months without being a member of the House”.

Also, Section 11 of the Act allows him to participate in the proceedings of the assembly and committees, the Speaker said.

Going by constitutional provisions, within the stipulated time the person appointed to the cabinet without a membership in the assembly must be elected through by-elections to retain the post.

However, four BJP MLAs stuck to their stand even during the post-lunch session prompting the AAP MLAs to criticise them followed by the Speaker accusing the BJP of “running away” from a discussion on the ongoing sealing drive.

Twenty AAP MLAs, including Gahlot, were disqualified by President Ram Nath Kovind on January 20 following the Election Commission’s recommendations on charges of holding office of profit as parliamentary secretaries to ministers.

The House today unanimously passed a resolution, moved by AAP MLA Saurabh Bhardwaj, demanding a moratorium on the sealing of commercial establishments in the city saying that the Centre must bring either a bill in Parliament or an ordinance later to grant relief to traders.