AAP writes to Prez after suspended Delhi MLAs barred from Assembly premises

Advertisement

Atishi, who was stopped at the entrance by security personnel and handed a letter from the Speaker listing the suspended MLAs, demanded to see official orders justifying their restriction from the Assembly premises. “This is the first time in the country’s history that elected MLAs are being prevented from entering the Assembly premises. The police have not shown us any order. This is BJP’s dictatorship,” she said.

She alleged that AAP legislators were removed from the premises simply for raising slogans of “Jai Bhim.”

AAP’s Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh echoed Atishi’s concerns, warning that similar actions would soon be taken against opposition lawmakers nationwide. “Delhi is just the beginning. Soon, opposition leaders across the country will be thrown out of Assemblies and Parliament. I am shocked — this has never happened before in Indian parliamentary history,” he said.

Defending the move, BJP MLA Kailash Gahlot — who was formerly a minister in the AAP government — dismissed the claims of unprecedented action. “This is not the first time MLAs have been suspended. Since 2015, many BJP MLAs have been barred from Vidhan Sabha sessions, sometimes for the entire session,” he stated.

Delhi Minister Parvesh Verma also justified the suspension, arguing that AAP MLAs disrupted House proceedings. “They cannot raise slogans when the Lieutenant Governor is addressing the House. If they break the rules, there will be consequences,” he said.

Later in the day, Atishi wrote to President Droupadi Murmu, calling the ban on AAP MLAs a “murder of democracy” and a “black spot” on India’s democratic history. She highlighted that opposition MLAs were forced to protest on the streets after being denied entry.

“Preventing elected representatives from reaching the Assembly is an assault on democracy. This incident is a dark stain on India’s democratic history,” Atishi wrote, requesting a meeting with the President on February 28 to discuss the matter.