BJP MLA OP Sharma suspended for Delhi Assembly's Winter Session

New Delhi: Amid relentless protests over Delhi BJP MLA Om Prakash Sharma's derogatory remarks against AAP legislator Alka Lamba, Speaker Ram Niwas Goel on Thursday suspended him for the rest of the ongoing Winter Session of the Assembly and referred his matter to House Ethics Committee.

However, all six women MLAs and other ruling party legislators were adamant for permanent suspension of Sharma from the House, but the Speaker decided to suspend the BJP legislator till December 4 after the House passed a proposal to take strict action against him by voice vote.

As uproar continued in the Assembly, the Speaker had to adjourn the House twice.

Najafgarh MLA Kailash Gahlot moved a privilege motion against Sharma for his remarks against the Speaker, who later suspended the BJP legislator after the House passed a proposal against him by voice vote.

On November 24, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia had moved a proposal to hand over the matter of Sharma to the Assembly Ethics Committee. Tourism Minister Kapil Mishra today proposed the same.

Demanding permanent Sharma's suspension from Assembly, AAP's six women MLAs, sporting black badges, sat in the well of the House, saying that he be "jailed" for his behaviour.

Sisodia urged the MLAs to withdraw their protest. However they did not relent.

All the women MLAs called off their protest after Speaker assured them that the Ethics Committee's report will be tabled in the next Assembly session.

"Six women MLAs represent the Delhi's women inside the Assembly. We will not tolerate the insult of women. Sharma has no right to continue as legislator," AAP MLA Rakhi Birla said in the House.

The nine-member Ethics committee oversees the moral and ethical conduct of members and examines complaints relating to unethical conduct of a member referred to it by the House or Speaker.

Earlier in the day, leader of Opposition in the Assembly Vijender Gupta and MLA Jagdish Pradhan walked out of the House in protest against non-acceptance of privilege motion under Section 66 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business of Delhi.Gupta along with Om Prakash Sharma and Pradhan sat in protest till evening outside the Assembly Hall near Gandhi statue.

Gupta also said that he informed that he had moved the motion under Section 66 in the morning but it was "arbitrarily" turned down by the Speaker.

Speaker Goel had suspended Sharma till November 26 for using derogatory language against the Lamba during a discussion on night shelters.