By Aditi S Bade
The first session of the newly constituted Delhi Assembly, on February 25, 2025 came under siege, thus suspending 12 Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLAs including one Atishi Marlena. The disruption was agitated during the speech of Lieutenant Governor (LG) VK Saxena, when AAP members began protesting regarding the purported dislodgment of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar’s portrait from the Chief Minister’s office and the delayed presentation of CAG reports.
Speaker Vijender Gupta ordered suspension of the displeased legislators for “disruptive sloganeering,” thereby impeding the LG’s speech. Among them were Atishi, Anil Jha, Gopal Rai, Veer Singh Dhingan, Mukesh Ahlawat, Chaudhary Zubair Ahmed, Vishesh Ravi, and Jarnail Singh. Later on, at a news conference post-suspension, Atishi accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of intimidating Dr. Ambedkar by removing the portrait and said, “By taking down Babasaheb Ambedkar’s portrait, the BJP has shown its ugly face. Do they think PM Modi can take Babasaheb’s place?”
Presenting the obstructed agenda of 14 pending CAG reports, one would be the enquiry into the now-stopped liquor policy of Delhi. The report mentions how the Delhi government suffered losses exceeding ₹2,000 crore due to the lowering of attuned taxes, specifically mentioning weak framework policies and non-grabbing installation.
Also, there has been a disagreement over presenting specific CAG reports. In December 2024, LG Saxena condemned the AAP government for not having 14 CAG reports on the Assembly floor, saying it seemed “conscious and deliberate.” To this end, he recommended that a special Assembly meet be called.
These reports have been heavily pressed and forced onto the AAP government by the BJP. Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri accused AAP in January 2025 of “hiding” the findings of the national auditor and added that the results will soon tell in the upcoming elections by the voters of Delhi.
Even the high court of Delhi has grumbled about the “ordinary delay” in filing the CAG reports. Though the high court refused to order even a special Assembly session, it underscored the constitutional requirement for the government to speedily come to the table concerning such reports.