AAP rebel suspended from House

Dissident AAP MLA Pankaj Pushkar, who represents Timarpur, was suspended from the Delhi Assembly on Friday for two days as he kept on demanding a discussion on the EWS category in schools despite the Speaker’s objection.

The suspension bars Mr Pushkar from attending the Assembly’s proceedings on Friday and on November 30, when it will meet next after the weekend. The session has been extended till December 4.

City home minister Satyendar Jain moved the proposal to suspend Mr Pushkar, which was then voted upon. Following unanimous approval from the House, Speaker Ram Niwas Goel gave his ruling in favour of Mr Pushkar’s suspension.

The Speaker’s ruling suggests a dictatorial tendency, Mr Pushkar said after his suspension from the Assembly and added that the move smacks of “arrogance”.

The legislator, who has been at odds with the party leadership since the expulsion of Yogendra Yadav and Prashant Bhushan, said the AAP has been overrun by “anti-party elements”.

Describing his suspension as “undemocratic”, Mr Pushkar told a news agency, “The issue was to be raised under the ‘calling attention’ provision and would not require more than two minutes.”

“I wanted to raise the issue of the EWS category admissions in schools and creches on DDA land in the capital under the calling attention provision. The government could just state whether it was being complied with or not... The Speaker’s step tends towards being dictatorial,” Mr Pushkar said.

“But under the same provision, three issues were raised in the House on November 24, when I had first spoken about it,” he said. “You may silence my voice but one day you will have to answer to the people.”

He rejected suggestions that he was trying to publicly embarrass the AAP by his actions. “The matter I wanted to raise is of public interest. It would rather raise the stature of the party,” he said.

“Only an arrogant regime can do that (suspension). But one day you will have to answer some authority and above all the people,” he said.

Mr Pushkar has openly sided with Swaraj Abhiyan, an outfit floated by Yadav and Bhushan and has been participating in its events across the country.