Ruckus in Delhi Assembly over Bharti; AAP to table Jan Lok Pal Bill today

Congress, BJP workers demand resignation of Law Minister Somnath Bharti

On a day when Parliament witnessed pandemonium over the Telangana issue, the Delhi legislative Assembly, too, witnessed unruly scenes, though on another issue. The Aam Aadmi Party government did not table the anti-corruption Jan Lok Pal Bill.

In line with the laid down procedure, voting for introduction of the Bill is likely to take place in the Assembly on Friday. If the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) vote against it, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal may quit, said sources.

On the first day of the special session of the Assembly, trouble started after Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) members demanded the resignation of Law Minister Somnath Bharti. Thanks to the ruckus and repeated adjournments, no business could be transacted.

However, the Delhi Cabinet on Thursday cleared the Swaraj Bill, which intends to devolve power directly to the people to curb corruption at the local level. The government plans to introduce the Bill after introduction of the Jan Lok Pal Bill

Opposition members stormed the well of the House, demanding Speaker M S Dhir to accept a calling motion for discussing the conduct of Bharti in a case related to a midnight raid on a house of Ugandan women in Khirki Extension in south Delhi. Dhir later accepted the demand.  The four-day session of the Assembly is being convened to pass the Jan Lok Pal and Swaraj Bills.  Kejriwal, who had threatened to resign if the Lok Pal Bill was not passed, said the Bill would be tabled on Friday.

The BJP, which had earlier said it would support the AAP in the passage of the Bill, has now put conditions for its support. According to Harsh Vardhan, its leader in the Assembly, the BJP would not support any legislation which was unconstitutional.

Kejriwal has been maintaining that there is no need to obtain prior approval from the Centre while BJP and Congress are of the view that clearance was necessary under Transaction of Business Rules  2002. The AAP and the Central government are in disagreement over what is the correct procedure for introducing a Bill in the Assembly. While the AAP said there was no need for taking prior approval of the Centre before tabling the Bill, the Law Ministry on Wednesday night informed the Delhi Lt Governor Najeeb Jung that it was mandatory for him to refer to the Centre all legislation, that require additional financial assistance.

Meanwhile, expelled AAP MLA Vinod Kumar Binny on Thursday said he would support the Jan Lok Pal Bill only if it is in line with Anna Hazare's draft, and insisted that he would not be bound by any party whip on the issue.