A large crowd of Aam Aadmi Party MLAs, councillors and party workers gathered outside the residence of Delhi Lieutenant Governor (LG) Shri Vinai Kumar Saxena on Saturday to demand his immediate resignation. The demand came in light of the Supreme Court’s Friday ruling forbidding Aldermen from voting in the mayoral election. Gheraoing the LG’s residence, the party accused him of harassing the people of Delhi by unconstitutionally delaying the MCD mayoral election for over 2.5 months in connivance with the BJP. The protest was led by AAP Senior Leader and MLA Ms Atishi, MCD Incharge and MLA Shri Durgesh Pathak and Senior Leader Shri Adil Khan.
AAP Senior Leader and MLA Ms Atishi congratulated the workers for a successful culmination of their struggle on the roads, in the MCD House and one they took to the Supreme Court’s decision shows that BJP-LG were betraying and planning to destroy Delhi. She said that it has been more than 2.5 months since the MCD elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) tried to win the elections through any unethical backdoor tactic possible.
She asserted that the only reason to bring Delhi Municipal Corporation (Amendment) Bill, 2022 to the Parliament in was that the BJP was well aware that they would lose the elections and wanted to postpone the elections by hook or by crook. She added, “But the BJP has no regard for the Constitution or laws of the country and it kept trying to form a BJP government through unethical, illegal and unconstitutional backdoor tactics, and the Delhi LG Shri Vinai Kumar Saxena was at the forefront of these unconstitutional tactics.”
Amid demonstrators roaring “shame, shame, shame,” Ms Atishi added, “Vinai Kumar Saxena must be ashamed of himself. He must remember that he is not the spokesperson or worker of the BJP, he is the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi and holds a Constitutional position.”
AAP MCD Incharge and MLA Shri Durgesh Pathak said that the Supreme Court’s decision shows that the LG has been acting against the Constitution of India in Delhi for the last 2.5 to 3 months. He said, “A person who has been violating the Constitution of India does not have any moral right to remain the LG of Delhi. The Constitution of India is not safe in the hands of such a person and he must resign.”
Senior AAP Leader Shri Adil Ahmed Khan asserted, “All of us have gathered here today because, after yesterday’s decision by the Supreme Court, Vinai Saxena has no right to remain on the chair of Lieutenant Governor.”
He demanded that the Delhi LG resign with immediate effect for his actions and that the BJP apologise to the people of Delhi for their unconstitutional actions. He thanked the Supreme Court on behalf of the people of Delhi and the Aam Aadmi Party.
He called the SC’s order that nominated members of the MCD cannot vote in the elections for Mayor and that the date of the election of the Mayor be declared within 24 hours “a historic ruling.” He continued, “Yesterday’s Supreme Court’s decision shows that the BJP, Delhi LG and the central government have been cheating the people of Delhi and planning to bring Delhi to ruin.”
