Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, Feb 24: The ugly side of democracy was in full view in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi in the nation’s capital city where the elected members belonging to the BJP and the Aam Aadmi Party resorted to violence landing blows and slaps on each other.
Delhi Mayor Shelly Oberoi was allegedly hit as the AAP and BJP councillors physically clashed with each other. Women councillors were also allegedly dragged in the violence. The mayhem broke out after the Mayor Shelly Oberoi announced one vote as invalid in the election to six members of the all-important municipal standing committee. BJP councillors protested by raising slogans and standing on tables. AAP councillors countered with protests of their own as the Mayor refused a recounting and the BJP immediately launched a vociferous protest as all hell broke loose in the House.
After the Mayor’s action, the BJP interrupted the counting of votes. The Mayor, however, insisted the result will be declared without the invalid vote. Soon, the house fell into chaos – councillors from both sides punched, kicked, slapped and pushed one another amid shouting. Some councillors were seen with their kurtas torn. One of them also collapsed.
The Mayor ordered a recounting but the BJP opposed it. “The vote is valid. If it is invalid, according to our calculation, the AAP’s candidate will win,” a BJP councillor, whose shirt button was torn open, said. Another BJP leader said the Mayor disregarded counting rules as set by the Election Commission. He claimed that the party had been “unofficially informed” that the BJP has won three seats in the standing committee. Still, the Delhi mayor is not accepting the technical team’s decision.”
Earlier, members of the ruling AAP and the BJP climbed on tables and shouted slogans against each other in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) house. BJP members said they will not allow a recount. “One side is ready for recounting, while the other side is not. That is why I’m not recounting. The result is being declared without the invalid vote,” said Shelly Oberoi, the AAP leader who was elected Mayor earlier this week after over a two-month delay.
At least 242 of the 250 councillors in the AAP-run civic body voted to select six members to the MCD’s standing committee, a powerful body that decides how funds are to be used and on what projects. After she declared one vote invalid, Ms Oberoi came under the firing line of angry BJP councillors, who shouted “you are not in your senses” at her. Some BJP councillors shouted “Jai Shri Ram” and praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Their rivals from the AAP shot back, “Aam Aadmi Party zindabad, Arvind Kejriwal zindabad.”
While the mayor is the nominal head of the civic body, it is the Standing Committee which has executive powers. Seven candidates are contesting the standing committee election which was disrupted in the last two days by the BJP members on issues of mobile phones been allowed to carry to the polling booths despite it being secret balloting. The AAP nominated Aamil Malik, Raminder Kaur, Mohini Jeenwal and Sarika Chaudhary). The BJP has fielded Kamaljeet Sehrawat and Pankaj Luthra. Independent councillor Gajender Singh Daral, who joined the BJP, is also a candidate.
The Standing Committee polls began on Wednesday evening, hours after AAP’s Shelly Oberoi was elected the new Mayor of Delhi. The House descended into complete pandemonium, as AAP and BJP councillors exchanged blows, and at one point even resorted to flinging water bottles, fruit and ballot boxes at one another — giving way to over a dozen adjournments.
Amid a fresh ruckus in the House with AAP, BJP workers hitting each other, Delhi BJP spokesperson Harish Khurana, alleged “hooliganism” on party of the Kejriwal-led party and said it had been triggered “at the instructions of Atishi.” Several women councillors were injured in the physical fight.
“What behaviour is this? This is shameful and condemnable. The country is seeing this. BJP should accept their defeat. I request BJP to stop their goondaism. Those who have attacked the Mayor will be sent behind bars,” the AAP MP Atishi said.
AAP councillor Ashok Kumar Maanu, who collapsed at Delhi Civic Centre, later appeared before the media with other councillors of his party.
Delhi mayor Shelly Oberoi, however, refused to sign on the results provided by the secretariat staff, claiming it included a vote that she had deemed invalid. She said there will be no recounting as both parties are not in agreement over the issue and agents have not been sent for this process.