New Delhi: The three-day session of the Delhi assembly began on Monday (January 16, 2023) with the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLAs carrying oxygen cylinders inside the House to protest against alleged inaction of the Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government to prevent deteriorating air pollution. Vijender Gupta, Leader of Opposition of the Delhi Assembly Ramvir Singh Bidguri, OP Sharma and Abhay Verma were among BJP members who arrived for the session carrying oxygen cylinders and donning oxygen masks.

“With a gas cylinder in tow, I would raise the voice of Delhi`s two crore people who have been forced to live in a gas chamber, in the Delhi assembly. The AAP government must come clean on what they have done to make Delhi pollution-free,” Gupta said in a tweet.

With a gas cylinder in tow, I would raise the voice of Delhi’s 2 crore people who have been forced to live in a gas chamber, in the Delhi assembly.

The AAP government must come clean on what they have done to make Delhi pollution free.#MakeDelhiPollutionFree pic.twitter.com/b8cR3emro2
— Vijender Gupta (@Gupta_vijender) January 16, 2023

“Today, Delhi is engulfed in smoke. People are choking, getting sick and the useless AAP government is sitting like a lame duck,” he added.

We will raise the voice of two crore people of Delhi who have had enough of the incompetence of the AAP government.

CM Arvind Kejriwal can no longer shrug responsibility and run off to another state when people of Delhi are choking. 2/2 pic.twitter.com/qBp61UeQsm
— Vijender Gupta (@Gupta_vijender) January 16, 2023

Speaker Ram Niwas Goel asked the BJP members to take the cylinders away and questioned how they brought them into the House despite security. Taking cognisance of the “lapse”, he also summoned security personnel to his chamber over the issue.

Delhi assembly adjourned for day amid protest by AAP leaders against LG VK Saxena

Meanwhile, the Delhi assembly was adjourned for the day, amid protest by MLAs of the ruling AAP against Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena’s alleged interference in the working of the city government. The assembly saw repeated adjournments on the first day of its three-day session and hardly 10 minutes of proceedings could be held.

After a war of words broke out between BJP MLAs and members of the ruling AAP over “illegal and unwanted obstructions and interferences” by the lieutenant governor (L-G), Goel adjourned proceedings for 10 minutes.

AAP legislator Saurabh Bhardwaj initiated the discussion on calling attention motion on the issue of “illegal and unwanted obstructions and interferences in the education of children and training of teachers”.

Leader of Opposition in the Delhi Assembly Ramvir Singh Bidhuri expressed opposition on this issue and defended the LG.

Speaker Goel accused Bidhuri of trying to be the LG’s spokesperson, following which AAP MLAs came into the well of the House.

After the House reconvened after the brief adjournment, AAP MLAs again started raising slogans against the LG over his “objections” to sending Delhi government teachers for a training programme to Finland, following which the speaker again adjourned the House for half an hour.

Subsequently, the House was adjourned for the day.