Put in abeyance privileges committee proceedings against suspended BJP MLAs: Delhi HC

Put in abeyance privileges committee proceedings against suspended BJP MLAs: Delhi HC

The Delhi High Court on Thursday asked the privileges committee of the Delhi assembly to hold off its proceedings against seven BJP MLAs who have been suspended indefinitely for interrupting Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena's address at the start of the Budget session.

Justice Subramonoium Prasad, who was hearing the petitions by the seven opposition legislators, said since the court is hearing the matter on merit, the committee should not continue with the proceedings. "Since I have started hearing today, privileges committee should not continue. All further proceedings must be kept in abeyance," the judge orally told the senior counsel appearing for the assembly.

The seven BJP MLAs — Mohan Singh Bisht, Ajay Mahawar, O P Sharma, Abhay Verma, Anil Bajpai, Jitender Mahajan and Vijender Gupta — approached the high court earlier this week challenging their indefinite suspension from the assembly. On Wednesday, the judge had said an attempt should be made to resolve the issue outside the court after it was told that LG Saxena has accepted the apology tendered by the MLAs.

The court, which began hearing the petitions on merit on Thursday, said their suspension was resulting in their constituencies going unrepresented in the House. "He is a representative of the people in the assembly. There is a constituency which is going unrepresented," the court said.

The hearing is underway. The MLAs have contended their suspension till the conclusion of the proceedings before the privileges committee was in violation of the applicable rules.

The BJP lawmakers had interrupted Saxena multiple times during his address on February 15 as he highlighted the achievements of the AAP government, while they attacked the Arvind Kejriwal government on a range of issues. AAP MLA Dilip Pandey had moved a resolution in the House for their suspension which was accepted by Speaker Ram Niwas Goel who also referred the issue to the privileges committee.

Seven BJP lawmakers, barring Leader of the Opposition Ramvir Singh Bidhuri, have been barred from attending the proceedings. The session has been extended till the first week of March due to delay in budget finalisation. The session has been extended till the first week of March due to delay in budget finalisation.