'Khokha-khokha' vs 'dhokha-dhokha': AAP, BJP fight it out in Delhi Assembly

BJP workers stage a protest demanding the resignation of Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia over the alleged liquor policy scam, in New Delhi. Pic/PTI

The Delhi Assembly special session on Friday witnessed stormy scenes with the ruling AAP shouting "khokha-khokha", accusing the BJP of trying to buy its MLAs, and the opposition hitting back with "dhokha-dhokha", referring to the alleged liquor scam.

Amid the slogan shouting, Deputy Speaker Rakhi Birla marshalled out all the eight BJP MLAs for the entire day of one-day session over an alleged video recording charge levelled by an AAP MLA on chief whip of the opposition Ajay Mahawar.

Earlier, Birla tried to restore order in the House, warning MLAs of both sides to stop sloganeering and take their seats. She also sent out AAP MLA Rituraj from the House as he kept on speaking despite her warnings.

The session was called by the ruling AAP to discuss how the BJP was allegedly trying to "poach" its MLAs and highlight the achievements of the Kejriwal government.

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Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday alleged that BJP had parked away Rs 800 crore to topple his government by offering Rs 20 crore each to 40 MLAs.

After being marshalled out of the House, the BJP MLAs staged a protest under the Mahatma Gandhi statue on the Assembly premises. They also went to meet Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena to lodge a complaint.

Leader of Opposition Ramvir Singh Bidhuri was asked by the deputy speaker in the House to reply if Mahawar did the video recording or not. On her repeated questioning, Bidhuri claimed that ruling party MLAs also resorted to video recording during Assembly sessions.

With no reply to her question, Birla ordered them to be marshalled out.

"We wanted a discussion on the excise policy scam but our requests were turned down. That is why we are protesting at the Gandhi statue demanding the immediate removal of Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia from the Kejriwal cabinet."

He claimed that the opposition MLAs were marshalled out because the AAP government has no answers to the BJP's questions on the alleged liquor scam.

Participating in a discussion over the Kejriwal government's work in different sectors, Sisodia said the Excise Policy 2021-22 did not cause any burden on the consumers and it increased revenue, but the BJP was alleging corruption in it.

The special session began with the House observing a two-minute silence to pay homage to ITBP soldiers killed in a bus accident in Pahalgam last month.

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