AAP members protest outside NDMC House
AAP members, who were recently suspended from the NDMC House, staged a protest on Monday and alleged that it was "murder of democracy" to keep the opposition party out of the proceedings.
North Delhi Mayor Avtar Singh on September 23 had suspended over 20 members of the Aam Aadmi Party for 15 days following a spat among councillors of the ruling and the opposition parties.
The suspended AAP members staged the protest outside the BJP-led North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) House.
The mayor convened a special meeting of the House on Monday following which AAP councillors squatted in the corridor and raised anti-BJP slogans.
The AAP councillors protested outside the House wearing black armbands and headbands and displayed placards.
After protesting for nearly an hour, the mayor allowed the AAP members inside the House and revoked their suspension.
AAP councillor and Leader of Opposition in the House Surjeet Singh Pawar said, "How can a House be called without the main opposition being present" and alleged that it was a "murder of democracy".
Twenty-six members of AAP were suspended by the mayor, the Leader of Opposition said, adding that the AAP has 31 councillors in the 104-member House.
The special House was convened by the mayor to discuss the issues of dengue, but soon after the AAP members resumed their place in the House, the members of the ruling BJP and opposition parties engaged in heated exchange of words.
NDMC Standing Committee chairman Jai Prakash attacked Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal over his anti-dengue campaign and accused him of "taking undue credit" for reduction in dengue cases in Delhi this year.
AAP leaders hit back at BJP councillors and said the ruling party "should have a big heart and appreciate the good work done by the Kejriwal government".
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