The two-day Monsoon Session of the Delhi Assembly starting Thursday is likely to witness uproar over several issues, including the Pegasus snooping row, water crisis and annual maintenance contract of Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) buses.
While the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is set to corner the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over the controversial ‘Pegasus’ snooping row and the farmers’ issue, among others, the BJP will target the Delhi government over the DTC and water crisis issues.
A senior AAP leader said that the party is planning to have discussions on issues related to the farmers, including the recommendations made by the National Commission on Farmers chaired by M.S. Swaminathan.
The AAP leader said the party will raise the issue of approval of a panel of lawyers proposed by the Delhi Police to argue the cases related to the Red Fort incident of January 26.
The AAP is also likely to pass a resolution to confer the highest civilian award, Bharat Ratna to late environmentalist Sunderlal Bahuguna ahead of the party’s poll entry in Uttarakhand next year.
The AAP is expected to raise the issue of alleged interference by Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal in matters related to the jurisdiction of the Delhi government. Last week, the Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi, Manish Sisodia, had written to Baijal, appealing him not to take decisions on matters within the jurisdiction of the Delhi government.
He had alleged that the L-G had chaired a meeting with senior Delhi government officials without informing the ministers concerned, forcing the officials to comply with the order.
However, Baijal had dismissed the allegations, calling them ‘baseless’ and ‘devoid of any merit’. The Delhi BJP will raise issues ranging from the water crisis to the lapses in the annual maintenance contract of DTC buses.
The party is also expected to up the ante against the Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi government over the waterlogging issue. The Leader of the Opposition from the BJP, Ramvir Singh Bidhuri, had on Tuesday given notices for discussion under Rule 55 of the Rules of Procedure, which regulates the procedure and conduct of business on important issues impacting the people of Delhi.
“Delhi is currently facing various problems, especially severe water crisis, shortage of teachers in government schools, breakdown in the public transport system, pollution etc.,” Bidhuri had said.
The two-day Monsoon Session of the Delhi Assembly will be held on July 29 and July 30.