LoP cornered on the issue of police action against students

Ananya Panda

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, January 18

Leader of Opposition Vijender Gupta’s jibe at Aam Aadmi Party MLAs today dubbing their remarks related to “police crackdown” in the national Capital and Hyderabad on student protestors demanding justice for Rohith Vemula and missing JNU student Najeeb Ahmed as “flowery speeches and crocodile tears” prompted the ruling party MLAs to demand an apology from him or his suspension from the House.

Vociferous protests by the AAP lawmakers with many of them in smiles raising slogans of “Modi is anti-Dalit”, “BJP is anti-Dalit” and “shame-shame” Vijender Gupta disrupted the House proceedings on day two of the Winter Session which led Speaker Ram Niwas Goel to suspend the House.

Even after the House resumed, the protests against the BJP leader continued demanding that either he must apologise else resign from his post. The Speaker took a strong note and expunged the remarks of the LoP terming them “unfortunate” and allowed him to participate in the discussion with decency.

However, the ruling party MLAs refused to budge from their demand till Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia intervened and asked his party colleagues to let the House continue its business.

Resolution adopted condemning police action on protestors demanding justice for Vemula

Before the Delhi Assembly passed a resolution condemning the police action on protestors on Rohith Vermula issue in Delhi and Hyderabad— Gupta, lone Bharatiya Janata Party(BJP) leader present in the House when the issue of Rohith Vermula was discussed, found himself cornered with AAP lawmakers first rushing towards him to hand over news reports to him on the issue and later into the House’s well demanding that the Speaker remove him from the position of LoP.

Gupta reminds govt of unified transport authority

As a supplementary during the 280 session, LoP Vijender Gupta sought to know from Transport Minister Satyendra Jain on steps taken by the AAP government for setting up a unified transport authority reminding him of the promise the AAP made in the poll manifesto.

On which Jain passed the buck on Delhi Development Authority saying the government had plans to bring 31 bus depots and 3 ISBTs but the DDA is yet to give its clearance.

The unified metropolitan transport body with jurisdiction over NCR as recommended by the Parliamentary Standing Committee Report in 2013 on Transport, Tourism and Culture will resolve traffic congestion and ensure proper and planned traffic management, integration of bus services with metro etc.

LoP questions competence of DPCC over pollution 

The issue of pollution and steps taken to counter became another issue of contention between the AAP government and the Opposition whose leader Vijender Gupta unsatisfied over the written reply by Delhi Environment Minister Imran Hussain questioned the competency of the city’s pollution control authority, DPCC.

Hussain stated that pollution levels were “not rising” in Delhi and that the Delhi Pollution Control Committee was adequately staffed something which was not bought by the LoP who alleged that the government has failed to utilise the budget allocation of Rs 79 crore despite the lapse of nearly ten months of the current fiscal year.

Gupta criticised the Environment Minister for not framing a concrete policy of the government in the House to tackle pollution plaguing the city and demanded to know the funds spent and number of polluting industries penalised.

However, the minister accused him of “politicising” the matter and listed the steps taken by the government, including ban on DG sets and the closure of Badarpur plant till January 31, to tackle pollution.