AAP MLAs target officers over alleged false replies

Ananya Panda

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, March 20

The ruling AAP legislators today upped the ante against the bureaucrats over alleged instances of “false or incomplete” replies furnished by officers to the queries by the MLAs followed by Speaker Ram Niwas Goel today referring four such matters to the House’s question and reference committee.

Goel, a day after he warned officers associated with the government against challenging the authority of the Assembly, also ordered the House’s privilege committee to look into the matter related to Revenue Secretary Manisha Saxena after Dy CM Manish Sisodia told the House that the officer’s statement related to a mob assaulting a principal and teachers of a government school in Narela was “fictitious” and aimed at “instigating” fellow officers.

Goel also sent Saxena’s matter to the privilege committee after a demand for this was made by MLA Sourabh Bharadwaj questioning the conduct of the officer in giving interviews against the government.

Saxena, had purportedly told in an interview to a Hindi daily that a mob attacked the principal and teachers of a government school for scolding a student in Narela on February 21. 

Goel later ordered the privilege panel to probe the matter and directed CS Anshu Prakash to respond to MLA Pankaj Pushkar’s question.

AAP MLA Rakhi Birla claimed the answer to a question related to ration provided by the officer concerned was allegedly false. In response, party colleague Saurabh Bhardwaj requested the Speaker to forward the instance of such a reply provided by Food Commissioner KR Meena to the question and reference committee.

The AAP in its fight against the bureaucracy has not even spared the judiciary with its MLAs accusing the HC on the floor of the House of “overreaching" into the government affairs.