Despite HC order, suspended AAP councillors not allowed to attend EDMC meet

Leader of Opposition in EDMC, AAP’s Manoj Tyagi, alleged that the court’s permission was deliberately suppressed by officials of the municipal body, to restrict them from the meeting

The East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC) called a special meeting of the House on Friday and discussed vector-borne diseases. Over a dozen suspended Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) councillors were not allowed to attend the meeting, despite the Delhi high court’s Friday order allowing suspended members to attend the meeting.

The Delhi high court, on Friday, sought a response from EDMC on a petition challenging the suspension of AAP councillors for allegedly creating a ruckus in the House and granted permission to them to attend the special meeting held during the day. (HT Photo)

EDMC mayor Shyam Sundar Agarwal, who suspended the 17 AAP councillors for 15 days on September 27 over alleged indecent behaviour and obstruction of the proceedings of the House, said that since they did not receive the high court’s order before the meeting began, the suspended members were not permitted to attend. “By the time we received the court orders, the meeting was over,” he said.

Leader of Opposition in EDMC, AAP’s Manoj Tyagi, alleged that the court’s permission was deliberately suppressed by officials of the municipal body, to restrict them from the meeting. “Our counsel informed us at 3.30pm that the high court has granted us permission to attend the House. But, EDMC officials continued to claim that the order was not communicated to them by the competent authority. As a result, we had no option except staging a peaceful sit-in outside the House. While we were suspended for raising our voice against corruption, by disobeying the order, the mayor and his supporters have shown their contempt to the court,” he said.

“The order of suspension was illegal and contrary to the Delhi Municipal Corporation Act, which provides for suspension of a councillor only in the presence of two orders of withdrawal from two successive meetings within 15 days of each other. The EDMC is involved in corruption in collaboration with builders. We were suspended as we sought action against the officials, who cleared EDMC’s building plan for a temple without any field visit,” he said.

The Delhi high court, on Friday, sought a response from EDMC on a petition challenging the suspension of AAP councillors for allegedly creating a ruckus in the House and granted permission to them to attend the special meeting held during the day.

Issuing a notice on the petition and seeking a response from the EDMC mayor, Justice Rekha Palli said that this interim arrangement was subject to the members maintaining decorum at the House and sought EDMC’s response on the petition challenging the suspension order.

“It is directed that by way of an interim arrangement, the petitioners be permitted to attend the special session of the respondent today. The same would however be subject to the undertaking by the senior counsel for the petitioner that they will maintain the decorum of the Sabha/House and it is clarified that the permission is granted to attend the session would be subject to the outcome of the petition. If the respondent is successful in showing (the legality of the suspension), the court will consider passing appropriate order regarding the presence of the petitioner in session today (Friday),” the order stated.