AAP vs BJP in overnight protests at Delhi Assembly premises

New Delhi: The Delhi assembly premises are witnessing a unique night, with both the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Opposition BJP holding overnight protests on the Delhi Assembly premises on Monday (August 29, 2022, amid an ongoing war of words between the two parties on allegations of corruption.

Hours after the AAP announced its night-long sit-in against the Lieutenant Governor, BJP MLAs also started an overnight protest on the Assembly premises.

While AAP legislators have alleged that Delhi Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena had pressurised his employees to exchange demonetised notes worth Rs 1,400 crore in 2016 when he was Khadi and Village Industries Commission Chairman, the BJP MLAs are demanding the sacking of ministers Manish Sisodia and Satyendar Jain over alleged corruption.

The AAP MLAs have squatted near the Mahatma Gandhi statue in the assembly premises with their placards, while BJP MLAs started their sit-in near the statues of Bhagat Singh, Raj Guru and Sukhdev.

It may be noted that the development came days after Saxena recommended a CBI probe into alleged corruption in the implementation of the Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22 and the AAP's accusations that he was "interfering" in the city government's work.

Leader of Opposition Ramvir Singh Bidhuri, in a statement by the BJP, said the party MLAs have been forced to sit on the dharna since they were not heard in the assembly. The statement comes after all eight MLAs of the BJP were not part of the proceedings of the Delhi Assembly's special session on Monday and Friday as they were marshalled out of the House.

Additionally, BJP also came out in VK Saxena's defence and said AAP leaders are levelling corruption allegations against him "to take revenge". Further, BJP said it will approach President Droupadi Murmu to raise the issue of the Assembly being used by the AAP government "to abuse the Centre".

(With agency inputs)