The Hindu : New Delhi News : BJP walks out over power, water problems

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Tuesday, Jun 30, 2009
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New Delhi

BJP walks out over power, water problems

Special Correspondent

Speaker removes eight BJP MLAs from Delhi Assembly for the day for disrupting proceedings

BJP demanded suspension of Question Hour to debate on power and water situation
Accuses the Sheila Government of not acting against erring discoms

NEW DELHI: Eight Bharatiya Janata Party MLAs were named and removed from the Delhi Assembly by the Speaker on Monday while the others led by the Leader of Opposition Vijay Kumar Malhotra walked out in protest after their demand for suspension of Question Hour and a discussion over the power and water crises in the Capital and the impact of the situation on the law and order was turned down.

As soon as the House met for the day, Prof. Malhotra demanded that Question Hour be suspended and the law and order situation arising out of the power and water problem be debated. He said it was after a month of problems faced by the people that Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit had called the power distribution companies now and told them to set things straight within four day. “But she has not specified what action would be initiated against the discoms if they fail to comply,” the BJP leader said, adding that the discoms have not purchased adequate power to supply to the people and nor were they attending to the complaints promptly. Prof. Malhotra said the discoms were not willing to even listen to the Chief Minister and buy power when it is expensive.

As he insisted that the Question Hour be suspended, Speaker Yoganand Shastri ruled that already a discussion on deteriorating law and order situation in Delhi was listed for the day and a discussion on water was scheduled for Tuesday. Also, he said, simultaneous discussion on three issues – namely water, power and law and order – would amount to violation of Rule 61(2) and discussion on law and order alone would amount to violation of Rule 61(6) as the matter is listed for discussion later in the day.

On Prof. Malhotra’s demand that under Rule 290 all scheduled work be suspended and a discussion on power, water and its impact on law and order be taken up, the Speaker said there was no such provision in the rules of the Delhi Legislative Assembly.

Not satisfied with the Speaker’s rulings, several BJP members began shouting slogans and trooped into the well of the House. They also held aloft placards protesting against the prevailing water and power situation. Delhi Cantonment MLA Karan Singh Tanwar even went up to the Speaker’s table and disturbed his microphones.

The Speaker thereafter ordered eight BJP members removed from the House for the day. The other BJP members kept protesting, accusing the Chief Minister of not inviting them to a meeting of MLAs in which the water situation was discussed. But when their protests did not yield any result, Prof. Malhotra said: “We protest against the removal of our members and against the fact that a political colour is being given to the issue.”

He then led a walk-out of his other party members.

This led to another peculiar situation as the Question Hour due to the absence of the BJP MLAs got “over” by around 2-35 p.m. Then the Speaker exercised his power under Rule 42 and allowed other members present in the House to raise issues pertaining to the questions. This rule states that “when all the questions for which an oral answer is desired have been called, the Speaker may, if time permits, call again any question which has not been asked by reasons of the absence of the member in whose name it stands, and may also permit a member to ask a question standing in the name of another member …..”

Later, addressing a press conference Prof. Malhotra said the manner in which Ms. Dikshit first stayed silent for a month and only summoned the discoms after Congress president Sonia Gandhi intervened in the matter shows that she was not equally concerned about the 1.75 crore people living in Delhi. He also accused the Delhi Government of “not acting properly against the erring discoms and the water tanker mafia thriving in Delhi”.

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