Days after he was caught assaulting a CPI activist in Patiala House courts complex, the Delhi Assembly’s ethics committee has decided to recommend BJP legislator O.P.
Days after he was caught assaulting a CPI activist in Patiala House courts complex, the Delhi Assembly’s ethics committee has decided to recommend BJP legislator O.P. Sharma be expelled from the House in connection with an incident of making “sexist remarks” against a female AAP legislator.
Mr Sharma, a first-time MLA who was arrested in the assault case on Thursday, called the move “an attack on democracy,” adding that he had an indication about the recommendation five months ago as the committee is comprised only of AAP legislators.
In November, Delhi Assembly Speaker Ram Niwas Goel had suspended Mr Sharma for rest of the Winter Session for using derogatory language against AAP legislator Alka Lamba inside the House. Mr Goel had also referred the matter to the ethics committee of the House for further probe. Sources said the ethics committee of the House has decided to recommend expulsion of the BJP MLA from the Assembly in connection with the incident.
The sources said the recommendations in the case are likely to be tabled in the House during its Budget Session next month and that a final decision will be taken on Mr Sharma’s membership by the Assembly.
They added that the committee has held that the BJP legislator is a “habitual offender” besides being “unapologetic” over his “misbehaviour.
“The committee in its several meetings had given (Mr) Sharma an opportunity to apologise to Lamba, but he refused to do so,” they added.
Since Mr Sharma refused to apologise to Ms Lamba, the committee concluded that his conduct is unbecoming. “In view of this, the committee will recommend that the BJP legislator be expelled from the Delhi Assembly,” one of the sources said.
Criticising the move, Mr Sharma said, “I had an indication about the move five months ago because the committee consists of AAP MLAs. The recommendation to expel me from the Delhi Assembly is an attack on democracy.”
In December, the Delhi Assembly had passed a resolution to recover Rs 18,560 from Mr Sharma’s salary towards the cost incurred in replacing a mike he had damaged during the Budget Session and warned him not to repeat such actions.
Mr Sharma was caught on camera beating a CPI activist at Patiala House courts complex on Monday. He was arrested for the assault on Thursday and was almost immediately released on bail. He was questioned for around eight hours at the Tilak Marg police station in connection with the case.
