New Delhi, Aug 11 (PTI) Eight Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLAs were marshalled out of the Delhi Assembly on Tuesday after they protested in the House demanding the resignation of minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa over an alleged “rice scam”, sparking a war of words.
Food and Civil Supplies Minister Sirsa, speaking in the Assembly, refuted the charge, saying the Delhi government has neither bought nor sold any rice, and accused AAP leaders of spreading “blatant lies”.
AAP has been protesting since the start of the session on August 7, alleging that the BJP government has sold subsidised rice, intended for the city’s poor, to a private company in Haryana.
On the last day of the Monsoon session on Tuesday, AAP MLAs protested with rice bags on the Delhi Assembly premises.
The protesting AAP MLAs squatted on the floor in front of Leader of Opposition Atishi’s office and placed large sacks of rice before them. They raised slogans such as “Gareeb ka chawal kahan gaya? (Where did the rice for the poor go?)” Later, as the Assembly proceedings resumed after a lunch break, AAP MLAs rose from their seats and entered the Well of the House holding placards and raising slogans, demanding Sirsa’s resignation.
“This will not be tolerated. This is very irresponsible behaviour of the Opposition. They have tried to disrupt the session continuously over the past three days,” Delhi Assembly Speaker Vijender Gupta said.
After his warnings went unheeded, the Speaker directed the marshals to remove the MLAs from the House, following which Public Works Department (PWD) Minister Singh asked the marshals to sternly deal with the opposition legislators.
Singh claimed that AAP MLA Kuldeep Kumar “threw something towards the officials present”. “This is not acceptable behaviour and the marshals should throw them out immediately,” he said.
“Marshals, throw them out; don’t show them love, throw them out,” the minister said.
The AAP legislators were escorted out by the marshals, who lifted MLA Kuldeep Kumar when he sat on the floor while resisting their attempt to remove him.
The MLAs sent out of the House were — Sanjeev Jha, Jarnail Singh, Kuldeep Kumar, Som Dutt, Ajay Dutt, Virendra Kadyan, Surinder Kumar and Chaudhary Zubair Ahmed.
Speaking in the House, Sirsa refuted the AAP’s allegation. He claimed that AAP was rattled and had no issues to raise after the Delhi government had rolled out the promised Delhi Lakshmi Yojana under which eligible women will be provided Rs 2,500 monthly assistance.
“We did not buy or sell any rice. We had a representation from a company. I only wrote ‘maybe considered as per rules’. There is no real issue left with the Opposition. I will take them to court in a defamation matter,” the minister said.
Delhi AAP chief Saurabh Bharadwaj said instead of getting angry and trying to “intimidate” the MLAs, Sirsa should answer their questions on the movement of a proposal for subsidised rice and asked why it remained pending in his office for three months before being forwarded and approved on the same day.
In a post on X, he addressed Sirsa directly and said, “Don’t be so angry. A responsible minister should calmly answer the opposition’s questions. Don’t try to intimidate by threatening court action. We have some questions, please answer them.” Bharadwaj alleged that the government has “black-marketed” rice meant for the city’s poor to a private company.
“There have been very serious allegations against Manjinder Sirsa’s department, which recommended the Food Corporation of India (FCI) to give subsidised rice to a North-East corporation based in Assam.
“The subsidised rice, which was only meant to be distributed to Delhi’s poor and migrant population, was instead black-marketed to a private company in Haryana,” Bharadwaj alleged on X.
The former minister questioned how the proposal for subsidised rice, which had allegedly remained in Sirsa’s office for three months, was suddenly forwarded and approved by the department on the same day and also sent to the Food Corporation of India (FCI).
He also asked why the proposal was not sent to the head of the food department, but instead to a junior officer.
Bharadwaj further questioned why the government had “not informed” the public about the distribution of such a large quantity of rice.
Sirsa hit back, saying the AAP leaders were levelling “baseless allegations” to divert attention from the roll-out of the Delhi Lakshmi Yojna by the BJP government that will provide Rs 2,500 per month to eligible women.
“Their problem is not rice. Their problem is Rs 2,500 reaching the women of Delhi. Their problem is that they used to ask ‘when will the government provide Rs 2500 to women’. This issue exists no longer as the government has implemented the scheme. Their problem is that the Delhi Government is delivering on its promises,” he said.
“They used to make an issue out of Rs 2,500 every day. Now that the issue itself has been snatched away, they’re flailing around like madmen,” he said.
No amount of “frustration or political drama” by AAP can stop the government from working for the people of Delhi, Sirsa asserted.
He also warned, “If these defamatory allegations continue, I will take the matter to court. There, it will be clear what was purchased, who purchased it, who sold it and where the money went. The truth will be established through documents, not through political statements.” Sirsa had last Monday threatened defamation action against Bharadwaj and other AAP leaders, giving them 24 hours to withdraw their allegations and issue a public apology, failing which he said he would initiate appropriate legal proceedings against them.
The Aam Aadmi Party objected to Minister Parvesh Sahib Singh’s “throw out” the MLAs remark against its members in the Assembly.
“That authority belongs to the Speaker. Since when have ministers started giving orders in the Assembly? And this is the language being used by Parvesh Verma even for elected MLAs. This is a complete breach of Privileges by Parvesh Verma,” Bharadwaj said.
“No one can direct the marshals to throw MLAs out of the House. This is the power of the Speaker of the House. The Opposition wants to discuss the ration scam…,” he stated in a post on X. PTI SSM/VBH/VIT RT
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