Suspended AAP lawmakers prevented from entering Delhi assembly premises

Speaker Vijender Gupta suspended AAP legislators for disrupting lieutenant governor Vinai Kumar Saxena’s address to the House and ignoring requests to maintain order

Suspended Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) lawmakers, including Opposition leader Atishi, were prevented from entering Delhi assembly premises on Thursday. Security personnel put up barricades and shut the main entry gate to block the entry.

Leader of Opposition Atishi leading a protest outside the Delhi assembly. (PTI)

The AAP lawmakers protested against the move denying them access saying it amounted to dictatorship. “After coming to power [this month], the BJP [Bharatiya Janata Party] crossed the limits of dictatorship,” Atishi said in a post on X. She added AAP lawmakers were suspended from the House for three days for raising slogans of “Jai Bhim”, hailing Bhimrao Ambedkar.

Atishi said AAP lawmakers were not even allowed entry into the assembly premises. She added this has never happened in the history of the Delhi assembly.

Sanjeev Jha, who is among the suspended lawmakers, said the entry of elected members into the assembly premises is allowed despite suspension. “This is the first time that entry has been blocked at the main gate,” Jha said.

Amanatullah Khan, who was absent when 21 of 22 AAP lawmakers were suspended on Wednesday, was allowed to enter the assembly and join the House proceedings on day third of the first assembly session since BJP was voted back to power.

Speaker Vijender Gupta suspended AAP legislators for disrupting lieutenant governor Vinai Kumar Saxena’s address to the House and ignoring requests to maintain order. The AAP lawmakers raised slogans against the BJP claiming chief minister Rekha Gupta insulted national icons Ambedkar and Bhagat Singh by allegedly removing their pictures from her office. Gupta and BJP leaders accused AAP of lying and maintained the pictures were still in the office.

The lawmakers were suspended for three House sittings until Friday after minister Parvesh Verma moved a motion for it.

AAP Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Singh slammed the BJP over the suspensions. “Delhi is just the beginning; this will now happen across the country. The entire Opposition will be removed from legislative assemblies and even from Parliament premises,” said Singh in a post on X. He added this was the first time in Indian parliamentary history that AAP lawmakers in Delhi were being stopped from entering the assembly premises.