Oust OP Sharma from House, BJP for derogatory comments, demands AAP
Upping the ante against BJP legislator OP Sharma for his ‘derogatory’ remarks against MLA Alka Lamba, woman lawmakers of the Aam Aadmi Party on Wednesday demanded Sharma’s disqualification from the assembly and said they would abstain from attending the House proceedings until his ouster.
Upping the ante against BJP legislator OP Sharma for his ‘derogatory’ remarks against MLA Alka Lamba, woman lawmakers of the Aam Aadmi Party on Wednesday demanded Sharma’s disqualification from the assembly and said they would abstain from attending the House proceedings until his ouster.
Targeting the Bharatiya Janata Party, the AAP legislators dared the saffron party leadership to throw out Sharma from the party or else it would be construed that “it is endorsing the legislators’ behaviour”.
While AAP workers hit the streets and protested outside the east Delhi residence of Sharma, the AAP legislators demanded that a case should be registered against Sharma and he be sent to jail.
“It is shameful that such people are members of the assembly. Does BJP want such a nation where women are treated like this? The BJP should clarify its stand whether it is with Sharma or will it take any action against him,” deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia said at a press conference at his residence, which was addressed by all six women MLAs of AAP, including Lamba.
On Tuesday, Speaker Ramniwas Goel suspended Sharma till Thursday for using derogatory language against the Chandni Chowk MLA during a discussion on night shelters. In the heated exchange on the issue, Vishwas Nagar MLA OP Sharma addressed Alka Lamba as a ‘raat bhar ghumne wali’ (who wanders about at night) woman. Lamba also accused the legislator of calling her ‘gundi’ in the past.
“This is not the first time that Sharma has made such comments.…This is not only my fight; this is every woman’s fight against the bad treatment meted out to them by a few members of society,” she said. Lamba said that the use of derogatory language had hurt her at a personal level as she “tried to hide the news from her 18-yr-old son, but could not”.
Deputy speaker Bandana Kumari said: “OP Sharma did not abuse a legislator alone but also women who works in night shifts. His statement reflects the mentality of his party.”
Even as the woman legislators set tough conditions for the party and government, sources said the Speaker was likely to recommend the case to the Ethics Committee when he delivers his ruling on Thursday.
“The matter pertaining to derogatory remark against Lamba is likely to be sent to the Ethics Committee. The Speaker could also take a strict view of Sharma’s comment against the Speaker himself and send the matter to the Privileges Committee,” an AAP member said.