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Atishi asks Delhi Speaker to conduct session impartially: 'Allotted only 14% speaking time'
In her letter, Atishi stated that speaker Vijender Gupta failed to treat both parties equally in matters of decorum and parliamentary procedure
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Atishi, in a strongly worded letter to Delhi assembly speaker Vijender Gupta, demanded that the upcoming budget session from March 24 be conducted in a “fair and impartial” manner.
Atishi alleged that the opposition MLAs were given significantly less time to speak than BJP members during previous sessions. “While BJP MLAs were granted ample speaking time, some even speaking uninterrupted for more than 20 minutes, opposition MLAs, including myself, were restricted to just 3-4 minutes each,” she said.
The AAP leader referred to the discussion on the CAG report and claimed that 18 BJP MLAs spoke for 190 minutes, while five MLAs from the opposition were given a mere 33 minutes.
Atishi wrote, “According to the proportion of our seats, the AAP should have received 32% of the speaking time, yet we were allotted only 14%. This imbalance severely undermines the ability of the opposition to effectively participate in legislative debates.”
The former Delhi chief minister condemned the conduct of previous legislative sessions and cited several incidents of “unfair treatment” to prove her point. She accused Gupta of fostering a “biased environment” in the house that sidelined the voices of her party, the opposition.
In her letter, Atishi stated, “In a parliamentary democracy, the Speaker serves as the impartial custodian of legislative debate.”
She also claimed that opposition MLAs were subjected to punitive measures while expressing dissent, but no action was taken against BJP MLAs who allegedly indulged in similar or worse behaviour.
“During the LG's address on 25.02.2025, both opposition and ruling party MLAs raised slogans. The opposition raised 'Jai Bheem', while the ruling party chanted 'Modi, Modi, Modi.' While all opposition MLAs were marshalled out, not a single ruling party MLA faced any consequences for their actions,” Atishi stated.
The two-time Kalkaji MLA also emphasized that it was the Speaker's responsibility to maintain decorum, ensure every voice was heard, and uphold the principles of fairness.
The AAP leader alleged that Gupta ignored these responsibilities and said actions were taken that were “arbitrary” and “blatantly partisan.”
