Assembly asks Atishi to respond to ‘malafide’ comments on suspension of AAP legislators

Assembly requests Atishi to clarify her comments on AAP MLAs' suspension, citing "malafide" statements about the incident.

The Assembly Secretariat on Wednesday asked Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and Leader of the Opposition Atishi to submit a written response to the “malafide” comments she made about the reason behind the suspension of her party MLAs during the Winter Session of the Assembly earlier this month.

The letter to Ms. Atishi stated that the “matter regarding incorrect and malafide statements” purportedly made by her regarding the grounds for suspension of the Opposition legislators has been referred to the Committee of Privileges on the orders of Speaker Vijender Gupta.

It added that the Chairman of the Committee of Privileges has sought her written comments by February 6.

Four AAP MLAs — Sanjeev Jha, Som Dutt, Kuldeep Kumar, and Jarnail Singh — were marshalled out of the House on January 6, the first of the four-day session, for “causing disrespect to the L-G and the House by disrupting and not respecting the constitutional values”.

The Speaker followed the action by suspending them for the remainder of the session.

Mr. Gupta had refuted the former Chief Minister’s alleged claim — that the MLAs were suspended for wearing masks to protest against rising air pollution. He had termed her allegation “factually incorrect” and a “deliberate attempt to mislead” the House and the people.