Om Prakash Sharma suspended for 2 house sessions

Cracking the whip on “indiscipline” of BJP legislator Om Prakash Sharma, the Delhi Assembly on Thursday suspended him for the next two sessions following an amended report of the Ethics Committee which probed his alleged misbehaviour with AAP legislator Alka Lamba. Mr Sharma was suspended from the House for the next two sessions for making “derogatory” remarks against AAP MLA Alka Lamba after he expressed “regret” over it to escape impending expulsion.

The Ethics Committee of the Delhi Assembly on Wednesday had “unanimously” recommended stripping Mr Sharma of his membership from the sixth Delhi Legislative Assembly for his remarks against Ms Lamba five months back and being “unrepentant” about it. It had also called him a “habitual offender.”

AAP MLA Bhavna Gaur, a member of the Ethics Committee, on Thursday moved a proposal in the House seeking action against him, saying he did not show any regret over his comments.

Following a discussion over the proposal, chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said he should be given one more chance to apologise for his remarks. On his part, Mr Sharma said, “My intention was not to hurt Ms Lamba as she is like my sister, but if she felt offended I express regret over it.”

After Mr Sharma’s comments, deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia proposed that the BJP legislator should be suspended for two subsequent sessions as he has “not apologised but only expressed regret.” The proposal was passed by the Delhi Assembly by voice vote. Participating in the discussion, BJP MLA Vijender Gupta accused the ruling party of harassing BJP legislators and said the Ethics Committee comprised only AAP MLAs.

“They are murdering democracy and cannot tolerate us. We are not allowed to speak as we are not in majority,” he said.

In November last year, Delhi Assembly Speaker Ram Niwas Goel had suspended Mr Sharma for rest of the Winter Session.