The Congress on Thursday announced that his party will boycott the Silver Jubilee celebration of the Delhi Legislative Assembly on December 15.
Addressing a press conference, Delhi Congress Chief Ajay Maken told reporters: "Congress has decided to boycott the Silver Jubilee -- the 25th year of the first sitting of the Delhi Legislative Assembly -- as unfortunately, as always in the last four years in Delhi, politics has prevailed over institution building and decency."
Maken said that winning thrice in a row before moving to Parliament, he was one its youngest MLAs in 1993. "I also became its Cabinet Minister and Speaker (youngest in the country then)," Maken said.
He said that such historic and democratic celebrations are always "apolitical".
The former Union Minister said that a Celebration Committee, constituting representatives of all political parties, which have been a part of its 25-year history, should have been constituted.
According to Congress sources, Maken did not get invitation for the event.
"Sheila Dikshitji, who was Chief Minister of Delhi for 15 out of 25 years in the same Assembly, should have been called respectfully by the present Chief Minister (Arvind Kejriwal) or by Speaker Ram Niwas Goel at least over phone, if not personally. The same should have been followed for all former Speakers and CMs," he said.
He said that the decision to boycott the celebration was taken after discussing with senior leaders, including Dikshit and former Speakers from the Congress.
On Wednesday, Bharatiya Janata Party veteran L.K. Advani, who was invited by the Delhi Assembly Speaker as the chief guest to the function, had declined the request due to personal reasons.
--IANS
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