New Delhi, Oct 5 (PTI) High drama unfolded here on Saturday over the bus marshal issue as the AAP and BJP traded allegations over their reinstatement, leading to protests, detentions and police complaints.
Delhi Chief Minister Atishi, accompanied by BJP MLAs, met Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena and submitted a cabinet note to reinstate the bus marshals, but it turned out to be a brief moment of thaw as AAP leaders soon accused the BJP of “betrayal” on the issue.
In a dramatic sequence of events, Delhi minister Saurabh Bharadwaj laid at BJP MLA Vijender Gupta’s feet, requesting him to accompany AAP leaders to the LG’s residence to seek Saxena’s approval on the reinstatement of around 10,000 bus marshals, while the chief minister left her car and sat in the BJP leader’s car.
After the MLAs of both parties reached Saxena’s house, AAP leaders accused the BJP MLAs of not asking him to sign the cabinet note and held a protest outside the LG’s house. They were subsequently detained by the police.
The chief minister was inside the LG residence when the protest happened.
Atishi lashed out at the BJP after meeting with the LG, saying the party has “betrayed” the bus marshals.
“Firstly, the BJP MLAs were not ready to come to meet the LG, but we managed to get them with us somehow. But even after coming here, they have not asked the LG to sign the cabinet note even a single time,” she said.
This is a complete betrayal by the BJP, and now the onus is on them to reinstate the bus marshals, Atishi added.
AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal said in a post on X, “Proud of my ministers who go to any extent, even laying at people’s feet, to get work done for the people.” “I request the LG and BJP not to politicise the issue further and to immediately reinstate the bus marshals, he added.
Police detained the AAP ministers and MLAs who were part of the protest outside the LG house, citing the lack of permission for it.
AAP minister Bhardwaj, who was also detained, said: “BJP, LG have betrayed 10,000 bus marshals. BJP MLAs said that if you pass the cabinet note, they will get the bus marshals reinstated from LG.” “But LG sahab has not signed the cabinet note. He will be cursed by 10,000 bus marshals,” he added.
Replying to the AAP’s allegations, Leader of Opposition in the Delhi Assembly Vijender Gupta accused ruling party MLAs of inappropriate behaviour.
“After submitting the memorandum on the marshals’ issue to CM Atishi, when we were leaving, AAP MLAs and anti-social elements present at the Secretariat complex misbehaved and engaged in a scuffle in the presence of the chief minister,” Gupta said.
Gupta further stated that he and the CM went to Raj Niwas to meet the LG, and when he was leaving after the meeting, Delhi ministers Saurabh Bhardwaj, MLA Kuldeep Kumar, Jarnail Singh, and Rohit Mahroliya, along with “anti-social elements” used abusive language and attacked him.
In a statement, the BJP leader said he has lodged a complaint with the Delhi Police regarding both incidents.
Later in the day, Bharadwaj, sharing a video on X, alleged that Gupta kicked a woman bus marshal outside the LG office.
A woman can be heard in the video claiming Gupta kicked her, he added.
Responding to Bharadwaj’s allegation, Gupta said he was mobbed by AAP MLAs and several other people.
“Why would I kick anybody? Instead, I was pushed and shoved and misbehaved by them,” Gupta said.
Over 10,000 civil defence volunteers deployed as marshals in public transport buses were removed last year after an objection was raised by the directorate of civil defence that they were meant for disaster management duties.
Earlier in the day, the BJP MLAs met the Delhi chief minister over the issue of reinstatement of the marshals.
The chief minister said the cabinet will meet immediately to pass a note on reinstating the bus marshals and appealed to the BJP MLAs to join a delegation to take the note to the LG for his approval.
AAP leaders claimed that the BJP MLAs initially refused to go to the LG office after the cabinet passed the note and tried to leave the meeting. PTI MHS VIT SKY SKY
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