The Hindu : New Delhi News : BJP MLAs expelled from Assembly

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Friday, Mar 28, 2008
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BJP MLAs expelled from Assembly

Staff Reporter

Over slogan-shouting after CM’s statement on controversial DU history book

NEW DELHI: The Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party MLAs were expelled from the Delhi Assembly on Thursday when they resorted to slogan-shouting after Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit made a statement on “objectionable references” to Ramayana characters in an essay prescribed by Delhi University. The Leader of the Opposition, Jagdish Mukhi, had raised the issue through a Special Mention notice on Wednesday.

In her reply, Ms. Dikshit said she had consulted the Delhi University Vice-Chancellor and Executive Committee members who said that the essay by the eminent scholar Ramanujan had been cleared as per due process.

‘Deliberate attempt’

Ms. Dikshit also said that contrary to the Opposition’s allegation, the Prime Minister’ daughter was not involved in compiling the book. “It was a deliberate attempt to malign the image of the Prime Minister’s daughter,” she said, adding that the document that was shown in the Assembly by Prof. Mukhi was forged and aimed at gaining political mileage.

Further, Ms. Dikshit said the essay in question was written by an eminent scholar and the BJP in a bid to give the whole issue a communal colour in view of the upcoming Delhi Assembly elections later this year was maligning a scholar who was no more.

Ms. Dikshit said if the BJP thought it was the sole custodian of Hindu interests then it was mistaken. “Our culture allows freedom of thought and expression,” she said.

Following the statement, the BJP members began protesting. They then resorted to slogan-shouting. BJP MLAs Karan Singh Tanwar, Saheb Singh Chauhan and Mohan Singh Bisht also rushed to the well of the House before the marshals escorted them back.

Speaker Chaudhary Prem Singh made repeated requests to the Opposition members to calm down. When they did not pay heed, he expelled all of them.

Condemned

Meanwhile, Nationalist Congress Party MLA Ramvir Singh Bidhuri moved a motion condemning the BJP members for using un-parliamentary language against the Prime Minister. The motion was passed by a voice vote.

Subsequently the BJP members sat in protest outside the Chief Minister’s Office and shouted slogans against her Government. The police detained the protesting members and later let them off.

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