Two-day Delhi assembly session starts on stormy note

New Delhi, Jan 17 (IANS) The Delhi Assembly on Tuesday witnessed vociferous protests by the BJP over the two-day session not starting with newly-appointed Lt. Governor Anil Baijal's address.

The Delhi government, however, maintained that it was a session in continuation of the fourth session of the Delhi Assembly which had not been prorogued.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal remained absent on the first day of the session.

"I call this session illegal as it is the first session in the New Year, so according to the rules it should have been started with the Lt Governor's address," Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Vijender Gupta said in the House.

He also expressed his displeasure over stretching one session unnecessarily.

"Dividing a single session in six-six parts without any necessary reason, is not good. This raises a question on the proceedings of the House," Gupta, who is Leader of the Opposition, said amid uproar.

Replying to Gupta's remark Delhi's Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said the government has its own mandate and it is not defined anywhere that dividing a single session into various parts for public welfare is a bad thing.

"If this assembly is so dedicated to work for public welfare that it decides to sit at short intervals and calls special sessions then it is good and should be taken as a symbol of a progressive assembly," Sisodia added.

Assembly speaker Ram Niwas Goel warned Gupta, asking him not to drag the Lt Governor's post into any controversy.

"This is not a fresh session as it is the sixth part of the 4th session of the assembly, so creating controversy on this issue and dragging the LG's name in it is not good," Goel said.