Kapil Mishra questions CM's absence, marshalled out

New Delhi: Amid heated arguments, the four-day long Delhi Assembly session concluded on Friday with the passage of three legislations, which were earlier returned by the Centre, even as chief minister Arvind Kejriwal remained conspicuous by his absence. The AAP government said that it will urge the Centre to expedite the probe by the special investigation team (SIT) into the 1984 anti-Sikh riots cases.

Earlier in the day, sacked Delhi minister Kapil Mishra was marshalled out of the Delhi Assembly after the rebel AAP leader held up a banner accusing the chief minister of “bunking off” House proceedings. As soon the House met on the session’s last day, Mr Mishra stood up with the banner which said “Kejriwal missing, come to the House” written across it.

Speaker Ram Niwas Goel said Mr Mishra’s act was against the rules of the House and called the marshals in. He ordered that Mr Mishra will not be permitted to attend the House for the rest of the day.

“Chief minister Mr Kejriwal has not attended a single sitting of the House over the last four days. I sought to know why was I marshalled out. He bunked off the entire session,” the sacked minister said.

Mr Mishra, who was a Mr Kejriwal loyalist at one point, was stripped off his portfolios of water and tourism and removed as a minister in May after the municipal polls, where the AAP suffered a humiliating defeat.

After that, he made a series of allegations against the AAP supremo, PWD minister Satyendar Jain and other leaders of the party. He was promptly suspended from the party’s primary membership.