The MCD was adjourned after Presiding officer Satya Sharma said the proceedings cannot be conducted amid sloganeering by both AAP and BJP councillors.
Visual from Civic Centre, MCD Headquarters [Photo:ANI]
Election to Delhi’s Mayor was on Tuesday postponed for the second time after the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) House was adjourned sine die following a ruckus between Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) councillors.
The MCD was adjourned after Presiding officer Satya Sharma said the proceedings cannot be conducted amid sloganeering by both AAP and BJP councillors.
“We were sitting in the House to vote since 11 am and when finally the time came, a ruckus began in the House. This is wrong, democratic principles must be followed,” Union minister and BJP leader Meenakashi Lekhi said.
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After the oath of Aldermen and elected councillors, the House was adjourned for 15 minutes during which a number of BJP councillors started moving in the House, chanting “Modi, Modi” and raised slogans against AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal.
They went towards the benches where AAP councillors were sitting and raised slogans, prompting the presiding officer to adjourn the House until a further date.
Proceedings of the House began this morning nearly three weeks after the process to elect the new mayor was aborted on 6 January following acrimonious scenes between the AAP and the BJP. Visuals from the House showed heavy deployment of security personnel, including in the well of the House.
The oath-taking ceremony began at the Civic Centre with the Presiding officer administering oath first to Aldermen, the members nominated by the Lt Governor, before administering oath to the elected councillors, even as the AAP councillors opposed this.
All 250 councilors and 10 nominated members completed the oath-taking process before a break was announced. After the break, there was a commotion between AAP and BJP councillors. The House had a heavy presence of marshals. Sharing a video, AAP spokesperson Saurabh Bharadwaj said: “Today BJP has brought force with sticks to take possession of Municipal Corporation. Have you seen this in any House?”
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