During the Assembly session, Speaker Vijender Gupta took strict action against the AAP leaders, suspending 12 MLAs, including Leader of Opposition Atishi and senior AAP leader Gopal Rai.
New Delhi, February 25: Delhi Assembly Speaker Vijender Gupta has raised serious concerns over the delay in presenting the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report. He pointed out that the High Court made strong remarks on the issue and accused the previous government of violating constitutional norms.
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Gupta expressed his shock that the CAG report had not been placed before the Delhi Assembly since the financial year 2017-18.
“It is amazing to know that the CAG report has not been tabled in the assembly after 2017-18. In this regard, the then LoP, i.e. me, and five other opposition leaders had requested the President, Speaker of the assembly, CM, and Chief Secretary to table the report. It was much needed to obtain the financial condition of the state. Unfortunately, the CAG report was not tabled, and the previous government violated the Constitution,” he said.
Gupta further added,
“The High Court made extremely serious observations regarding the CAG report. There was negligence in presenting the report, and it was deliberately withheld. The report was not sent to the Lieutenant Governor in time.”
The issue has led to a heated political confrontation between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). The BJP has accused AAP of financial mismanagement and irregularities in handling Delhi’s budget.
During the Assembly session, Speaker Vijender Gupta took strict action against the AAP leaders, suspending 12 MLAs, including Leader of Opposition Atishi and senior AAP leader Gopal Rai.
The session turned chaotic as AAP MLAs protested and raised slogans as soon as the Lieutenant Governor (LG) began his speech. Before his address, AAP members also chanted “Jai Bhim” slogans, further escalating tensions in the House.
ALSO READ: Delhi High Court Reserves Order on Opposition MLAs’ Plea to Table CAG Reports in Assembly
BJP leaders have strongly criticized the AAP government, alleging large-scale corruption and financial mismanagement.
Delhi Minister and BJP leader Parvesh Verma said,
“The CAG report we have been eagerly waiting for is finally here. Today, we will uncover the extent of the Aam Aadmi Party’s corruption. We will see just how severe it was. The people of Delhi have been looted, and taxpayers have been taken advantage of. Once the report is out, I will provide all the details.”
BJP MLA Mohan Singh Bisht also attacked AAP, claiming that the party had misused Delhi’s budget. He said the CAG report would expose their governance over the last decade.
BJP MLA Ravinder Singh Negi added that the report would serve as strong evidence to take action against AAP leaders involved in financial misconduct.
The newly formed BJP-led Delhi government, under Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, is set to table 14 CAG reports in the Assembly. This will be done on the second day of the eighth legislative session.
The reports are expected to highlight financial irregularities and mismanagement during the AAP government’s tenure. The BJP aims to use these findings to justify their allegations and take further action against AAP leaders.
BACKGROUND
Seven BJP MLAs have approached the Delhi High Court, requesting that 14 reports by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) about Delhi’s administration be presented before the legislative assembly.
The move was made on Monday and highlights ongoing concerns about accountability and governance in the city.
Senior lawyers representing the petitioners presented the matter before a bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Vibhu Bakhru and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela.
The court instructed that the case be scheduled for a hearing in the “normal course.”
This is not the first time the legislators have raised this issue in court. According to the petitioners, despite an earlier writ petition demanding the tabling of these CAG reports, the Delhi government has yet to comply.
When questioned by the bench about the urgency of the matter, the senior lawyer explained that once elections are announced, assembly sessions might not be held. This could delay any further action on the CAG reports. The court responded, “Normal course.”
The petitioners include BJP leader Vijender Gupta and MLAs Mohan Singh Bisht, Om Prakash Sharma, Ajay Kumar Mahawar, Abhay Verma, Anil Kumar Bajpai, and Jitendra Mahajan. They had previously filed a case regarding the same issue.
The new plea, filed through lawyers Neeraj and Satya Ranjan Swain, mentions that the Speaker of the Delhi Legislative Assembly has yet to receive the reports, despite earlier court directions.
“Hon’ble Speaker informed the petitioners that he is not in receipt of the CAG Reports. On 20.12.2024, when the petitioner no.1 again enquired about receiving the CAG reports, the Hon’ble Speaker of the Delhi Legislative Assembly apprised that he has not yet received the CAG reports till 12:51 PM,”
-the petition stated.
“This is a clear violation of the statement/undertaking given by the senior counsel on behalf of the GNCTD before this Hon’ble Court,”
-it added.
The BJP MLAs have urged the court to direct the Delhi government and the Chief Minister/Finance Minister to ensure the 14 CAG reports are forwarded to the Speaker in a “time-bound manner.”
This, they argue, is essential for taking “all necessary and consequential action.”
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