Assembly proceedings adjourned for day amid protest by AAP MLAs

New Delhi: The Delhi Assembly proceedings were adjourned for the day on Wednesday amid protests by AAP MLAs demanding the suspension of the chief secretary, the finance secretary and the health secretary for allegedly obstructing the government's work. Adjourning the proceedings, Speaker Ram Niwas Goel also extended the Assembly session by a day.

Earlier, the three-day session was scheduled to conclude on Wednesday. During a debate in the House, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Saurabh Bharadwaj said the Petition Committee had summoned Delhi Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar over various projects being stuck up.

"The chief secretary was called at 6.30 pm on Tuesday and he was there till 9.30 pm. During the meeting, he said the system is not proper and needs reforms. We asked him about dozens of projects being stuck up, but the chief secretary claimed that he did not have any information about it and no knowledge of the ground situation," Bhardwaj said.

The ruling party legislator claimed that many officers had said they were arm-twisted by the chief secretary at the behest of the lieutenant governor (LG). "We took confidential depositions of several officers. Many officers said they were threatened by the chief secretary at the behest of the LG to obstruct the functioning of the government," he said.

Bharadwaj alleged that the chief secretary as well as the finance and health secretaries indulged in a conspiracy to impede the government's functioning. He said the Petitions Committee had requested the president and the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to take action against the LG and the chief secretary. AAP MLAs trooped to the well of the House demanding the suspension of the chief secretary and the finance and health secretaries, prompting the speaker to first adjourn the proceedings till 4.15 pm. The protesters refused to relent when the House reconvened at 4.15 pm, prompting the speaker to adjourn the proceedings for the day.