Key Points
Opposition leader claims AAP has lost majority after councillors defected to BJP
Standing committee formation stalled for two years affecting development
BJP seeks commissioner intervention to void February 26 meeting
Delhi BJP chief accuses AAP of distorting Assembly procedures for years
Sardar Raja Iqbal Singh challenged Mayor Mahesh Khichi to call a Municipal Corporation House meeting on March 1 and prove his majority.
The Delhi BJP condemned Tuesday's illegal sitting of the MCD House, convened in violation of the Delhi Municipal Corporation Act, 1952 (DMC Act, 1952), by the Mayor.
"This session was held in the absence of the Commissioner and the entire opposition councillors. Barely 25 to 30 councillors from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) were present," said Singh.
In the past few months, several AAP councillors have left the party and joined the BJP, raising serious questions about AAP's majority in the corporation, he said.
He said the stubbornness of the ruling AAP over the past two years in not allowing the formation of the municipal standing committee has brought the development and administrative functioning of the civic agency to a standstill.
He said the agenda in municipal corporation's meeting on Tuesday included several old issues that have been repeatedly deferred and could have a serious financial impact on the MCD -- matters that require proper investigation.
"We urge the Hon'ble Commissioner to intervene and declare the House meeting held on February 26, illegal and void," said Singh, claiming that he had submitted a letter of protest to the Commissioner regarding the matter.
Earlier, Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva hit out at the AAP for not following procedures of elected bodies.
It was alleged that over the last 10 years, the previous Arvind Kejriwal government and the then Speaker of the Assembly twisted and distorted the rules and regulations of the Assembly's functioning to such an extent that the Assembly turned into a platform solely for the ruling party.
Most of the MLAs of the then Delhi Assembly couldn't exercise their rights connected to the House.
"Forget about the opposition BJP MLAs -- even the ruling AAP's MLAs were not given the opportunity to raise issues concerning Delhi, and the Assembly was reduced to doing mere political commentary," he said.
