The Delhi Assemblys Winter Session ended in complete chaos on Wednesday,with a BJP MLA even trying to snatch way files from Finance Minister A K Walia. This session has been stormy right from the beginning after BJP raised the demand for a House panel to probe CWG corruption cases. The Opposition protested against Speaker Yoganand Shastri,too,for breaking norms and running the House without a quorum. On Friday,the entire Opposition was expelled for three sittings after the House failed to function amid loud protests and sloganeering. To make sure that their demand was heard,Dwarka MLA Pradyuman Rajput snatched files from Walia as he was answering a question during the Question Hour. Rajput,along with seven other BJP MLAs,was expelled. This prompted the Opposition MLAs to protest in the well of the House by singing bhajans. Leader of the Opposition V K Malhotra registered his protest over the functioning of the House and the passing of motions in the absence of a quorum of 23 members on Monday. He said it was the duty of the Speaker to not continue proceedings in the absence of a quorum. Defending his action,Shastri said for suspending the House in the absence of a quorum it is necessary for a member present to notify the chair,and this did not happen. Wednesdays sitting lasted an hour after the special mention under Rule 280 was skipped and the Delhi Prevention of Touting and Malpractices Against Tourists Bill,2010 was unanimously passed to replace an ordinance promulgated by the Lieutenant-Governor on October 1. Speaking after the session,Malhotra said BJP MLAs were kept out of the House illegally and unconstitutionally for three days. Contending that the procedure of their expulsion was wrong,he said the Speaker is entitled to admit a resolution for expulsion only after the members concerned are named,but this did not happen on Friday. The Opposition was kept out on all seven days and the ruling party misused the House to attack the Lieutenant-Governor and the Corporation (MCD). The BJP has also submitted a notice on breach of privilege against Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit and MLA Mukesh Sharma to the Vidhan Sabha Secretariat alleging violation of conduct rules for commenting on the Lieutenant-Governor in the House. Malhotra said the motion has been admitted. Dikshit had criticised Khanna last week,accusing him of undermining the powers of her government and interfering in its functioning.
