Speaker Vijender Gupta said that the committee chairpersons have inherent powers to maintain order.
| Photo Credit: FILE PHOTO

Assembly Speaker Vijender Gupta on Tuesday said that any member indulging in violent or disruptive behaviour aimed at derailing the proceedings of House committees could be removed from that sitting.

The statement came in response to a letter from Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Ajay Mahawar, Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), who accused members of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) of disrupting a committee meeting where the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) reports were under discussion. The CAG reports tabled in the Assembly have been referred to the PAC for examination.

The controversy follows the tabling of eight of the 14 pending CAG reports, some critical of the previous AAP government.

Mr. Mahawar’s letter, dated May 26, alleged that during the PAC’s introductory sitting on May 22, Leader of the Opposition (LoP) Atishi, along with two other AAP MLAs — Kuldeep Kumar and Virender Singh — “vociferously objected” to the committee’s authority to “examine the CAG reports”.

He claimed Ms. Atishi cited the Government of NCT of Delhi (Amendment) (GNCTD) Act, 2021, asserting that it stripped the Assembly and its committees of powers to “examine matters of day-to-day administration”.

Despite repeated requests to allow the proceedings, the AAP MLAs continued to object, Mr. Mahawar claimed, adding that the proceedings resumed only after assuring the Opposition party members that their concerns would be conveyed to the Speaker.

PAC power upheld

Responding to AAP leaders’ claim, Speaker Gupta clarified that PAC’s role in examining CAG reports remains unaffected by the 2021 amendment to the GNCTD Act. He affirmed that committee chairpersons have inherent powers to maintain order and can direct disruptive members to withdraw from the proceedings.

“Any members indulging in violent or disruptive behaviour and creating utter chaos may be asked to withdraw [from the proceedings]. If the member refuses to do so, he may be removed from that sitting,” the Speaker said.

“This is outrageous. We are now being told that if we raise questions in a committee, we’ll be thrown out,” the LoP said.