Protests, prostration as AAP-BJP row over reinstating Delhi’s bus marshals comes to a head

Atishi said, “First, the BJP rendered 10,000 marshals jobless, now they were not ready to go to L-G sahab on this issue. BJP insisted on Saturday that a cabinet meeting be held. We immediately called one, passed the proposal by the Delhi Assembly to regularise bus marshals, signed it in the Cabinet, and handed its copy to the BJP.”

“The BJP was exposed because first, it was not ready to go to the L-G office and when finally they went to the L-G office, they were not ready to speak to L-G sahab even once,” she added.

After the Cabinet Meeting, chaos erupted outside the Delhi Secretariat with AAP ministers and MLAs seen asking the LoP to meet Saxena along with Atishi over the matter.

In a post on X, AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal said, “Senior AAP minister Saurabh Bharadwaj even prostrated himself at Gupta’s feet to take the matter forward. I am proud of my ministers and MLAs who are willing to go to any extent, even falling at someone’s feet, to get the work done for the people. I appeal to the L-G and BJP to stop playing politics and immediately reinstate bus marshals.”

At the L-G House, only Atishi and the BJP MLAs, the AAP alleged, were allowed entry. AAP MLAs opposed this, citing concerns over protocol and the CM’s security, triggering a ruckus outside Raj Niwas as well.

Inside Raj Niwas, led by Gupta, the BJP Legislative Party submitted a memorandum to Atishi for the reinstatement of 10,000 bus marshals dismissed from their jobs on October 11, 2023, “without any reason on instructions of then-Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal”.

“The government displayed a non-cooperative and negative attitude in today’s meeting with the Chief Minister which is deeply disappointing. The government is completely insensitive to the issue of reinstating the 10,000 marshals. As a result, the marshals and their families are suffering,” Gupta alleged.

The LOP also alleged, “After meeting the L-G, minister Saurabh Bharadwaj, MLA Kuldeep Kumar, Jarnail Singh, and Rohit Mehroliya, along with anti-social elements, used abusive language and attacked me outside Raj Niwas. I have lodged a complaint with the Delhi Police regarding both incidents.”

The Delhi BJP said its president Virendra Sachdeva had facilitated the meeting of a delegation of bus marshals with the L-G and requested him to hear them. “BJP had consistently stated that Kejriwal first appointed bus marshals without following proper procedure and then dismissed them to avoid scrutiny. After meeting the L-G today, bus marshals now understand the truth,” said Sachdeva.

“The kind of indecent behaviour witnessed today with the Leader of the Opposition and BJP MLAs in the presence of the Delhi Chief Minister is proof of the anarchy in their party…,” he added.