To counter AAP, BJP announces overnight protest at Delhi Assembly to demand sacking of Sisodia, Jain

India

pti-PTI

New
Delhi,
Aug
29:
Hours
after
the
AAP
announced
a
night-long
protest
at
the
Delhi
Assembly
premises,
the
BJP
on
Monday
said
its
MLAs
will
also
hold
an
overnight
protest
there
to
demand
the
sacking
of
ministers
Manish
Sisodia
and
Satyendar
Jain
over
alleged
corruption.

In
a
BJP
statement,
Leader
of
Opposition
Ramvir
Singh
Bidhuri
said
the
party
MLAs
have
been
forced
to
sit
on
a
dharna
since
they
were
not
heard
in
the
assembly.

All
of
the
BJP’s
eight
MLAs
were
not
part
of
the
proceedings
of
the
Delhi
Assembly’s
special
session
on
Monday
and
Friday
as
they
were
marshalled
out
of
the
House
on
both
days.

Earlier
in
the
day,
the
AAP
said
its
MLAs
will
camp
overnight
at
the
Vidhan
Sabha
premises
demanding
a
probe
against
Lieutenant
Governor
V
K
Saxena
for
allegedly
pressuring
two
of
his
employees
to
exchange
demonetised
currency
notes
worth
Rs
1,400
crore
during
his
term
as
the
Khadi
and
Village
Industries
Commission
(KVIC)
chairman
in
2016.

During
the
House
proceedings
earlier
in
the
day,
AAP
legislators
trooped
into
the
well
and
demanded
Saxena’s
resignation,
besides
a
probe
by
the
Central
Bureau
of
Investigation
(CBI)
and
the
Enforcement
Directorate
(ED).

In
its
statement,
the
BJP
said
its
MLAs
were
”expelled
unconstitutionally” from
the
Delhi
Assembly
again
on
Monday
and
”no
issue
was
allowed
to
be
raised”.

”The
meeting
of
the
BJP
Legislature
Party
was
held
this
afternoon
under
the
chairmanship
of
Leader
of
Opposition
Ramvir
Singh
Bidhuri
and
it
was
decided
that
the
BJP
MLAs
would
sit
on
a
dharna
near
the
statues
of
Shaheed
Azam
Bhagat
Singh,
Raj
Guru
and
Sukhdev
inside
the
assembly
premises.
This
protest
will
continue
throughout
the
night,”
it
said.

Bidhuri
alleged
that
Deputy
Chief
Minister
Manish
Sisodia
was
involved
in
the
multi-crore
liquor
”scam”
and
noted
that
minister
Satyendar
Jain
is
in
jail
in
a
money
laundering
case.

”BJP
MLAs
have
decided
to
sit
on
a
dharna
demanding
the
sacking
of
these
two
ministers.
Since
their
voice
was
not
heard
in
the
assembly,
they
are
forced
to
sit
on
a
dharna
inside
the
assembly
premises,” the
leader
of
opposition
said.

Earlier,
the
BJP
came
out
in
Saxena’s
defence
and
said
AAP
leaders
are
levelling
corruption
allegations
against
him
”to
take
revenge”.

Based
on
the
LG’s
recommendations,
the
CBI
registered
an
FIR
in
connection
with
the
alleged
irregularities
in
the
formulation
and
implementation
of
the
Delhi
government’s
Excise
Policy
2021-22.

The
agency
also
raided
the
residence
of
Sisodia,
who
also
holds
the
excise
portfolio
and
is
an
accused
in
the
case.

Last
week,
Saxena
sought
a
report
from
the
chief
secretary
over
a
delay
of
more
than
two-and-a-half
years
in
acting
on
a
Central
Vigilance
Commission
(CVC)
report
on
an
inquiry
into
construction
of
additional
classrooms
in
Delhi
government
schools.