"Tonight, on the orders of PM Narendra Modi, the BJP is killing democracy in the Delhi Municipal Corporation," said Sisodia. He alleged that the BJP had prior knowledge of the LG's directive and had strategically kept its councillors in the MCD House while AAP and Congress members were absent.
#WATCH | Former Delhi Deputy CM and AAP leader Manish Sisodia says "...We were thinking what is the motive of the BJP, then we understood what the real game is. An employee of the Municipal Corporation told us that while the councillors of AAP and Congress have left the House,… pic.twitter.com/GnLG3dZ09g
— ANI (@ANI) September 26, 2024
Sisodia also criticised the sudden nature of the directive, stating that Mayor Shelly Oberoi had already adjourned the House until October 5 due to chaos during the election process. "The Mayor adjourned the House till October 5, but at 8:30 pm, the Delhi LG, from America, wrote a letter to the MCD Commissioner, demanding the election be completed by 10 pm," he added.
Former Delhi Deputy CM and AAP leader Manish Sisodia says "Tonight, on the orders of PM Narendra Modi, BJP is killing democracy in the Delhi Municipal Corporation. The election of the standing committee member was to be held in the Delhi Municipal Corporation today. Mayor Shelly… https://t.co/pYGiUmiVBo pic.twitter.com/mzErGzQa86
— ANI (@ANI) September 26, 2024
Meanwhile, Delhi LG VK Saxena had instructed MCD Commissioner Ashwani Kumar to ensure that the election for the 18th Standing Committee member was completed by 10 pm. The directive also stated that in the Mayor’s absence, the Deputy Mayor or the senior-most councillor should preside over the meeting.
However, MCD at 10:20 pm stated that "the standing committee election for sixth member will not be held today (Thursday). The date and time of the election will be intimated later."
Delhi LG VK Saxena has directed the MCD Commissioner to submit a report of the conduct of elections of the sixth member of the standing committee by 10 pm today. In case the Mayor is unavailable or refuses to preside over the meeting, the Deputy Mayor may be requested to preside… pic.twitter.com/xat7cyKvIt
— ANI (@ANI) September 26, 2024
The controversy erupted earlier in the day over the ban on mobile phones in the MCD House, which sparked protests from AAP councillors. The phone ban, implemented to ensure the secrecy of voting, led to a heated confrontation between AAP councillors and the police, with AAP members refusing to enter the House unless allowed to bring in their phones.
Mayor Shelly Oberoi, who had initially entered the House at 2:25 pm, expressed frustration with the situation and adjourned the meeting three times. She cited the insult to councillors and lack of cooperation from officials as the reasons for postponing the session until October 5.
"The councillors have been insulted and nowhere in the country are corporators treated like this in any municipality. I must say there is pressure on the officials as well," Oberoi stated, before postponing the meeting.
Outside the MCD House, AAP councillors staged a protest, accusing the BJP and Municipal Commissioner of acting under pressure. Meanwhile, BJP councillors, having completed security checks, were present in the House on time and participated in the proceedings without any issues.
Of the 18 Standing Committee seats, 17 have already been filled, with eight members from AAP and nine from BJP. The formation of the Standing Committee is crucial as it holds authority over key financial decisions that have been pending for over 20 months.
Municipal Secretary Shiva Prasad KV defended the ban on mobile phones, stating that under rule 51 (5) of the DMC Act, the prohibition was necessary to maintain the secrecy of voting, but that phones would be allowed after the voting process was completed.
भाजपा के LG साहब द्वारा ग़ैर-क़ानूनी और ग़ैर-संवैधानिक तरीक़े से MCD Standing Committee के चुनाव करवाने की कोशिश पर Important Press Conference | LIVE https://t.co/MkOpigGXUa
— Manish Sisodia (@msisodia) September 26, 2024
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