Chaos in MCD House yet again: AAP-BJP councillors raise slogans, tear agenda papers

While raising slogans against the AAP, BJP councillors climbed the Well of the House, broke the Mayor’s mic and tore the agenda paper. Amidst a face-off between the councillors of the two parties, AAP’s Mayor Mahesh Kumar passed the agendas and adjourned the meeting.

Ruckus started soon after the House was called into session. BJP councillors demanded a vote on the agenda items, given that the AAP is currently running the MCD government in minority. In the 2022 MCD elections, AAP secured a majority by winning 134 seats in the 250-member House while the BJP won 104 seats.

However, the MCD’s tenure since then has been tumultuous, with both the BJP and AAP engaging in aggressive poaching of each other’s councillors. The AAP is now left with 114 councillors, while the BJP has increased its numbers to 116.

Joining the ruckus, the AAP councillors responded by questioning the BJP for not fulfilling the election promises of providing the Rs 2,500 monthly dole to women by International Women’s Day (March 8) and cylinders by Holi (March 14).

After repeated attempts to restore order, Khichi instructed AAP’s Leader of the House, Mukesh Goyal, to pass the agenda. However, in an attempt to prevent Goyal, the BJP councillors surrounded him. Hopping from one table to another, Goyal reached the back seat and passed the agenda, while hiding the papers under a bench.

Due to the uproar, no concrete result could come out of the meeting and important proposals were passed without any discussion.

Addressing the press after the meeting, BJP’s leader of Opposition Raja Iqbal Singh said, “Since the AAP came to power three years ago, there has been no development work in residential areas, nor has there been any discussion on development matters in the House. It is the responsibility of the ruling party to run the House.”