Delhi Leader of Opposition (LoP) Atishi has written to Speaker Vijender Gupta, urging him to uphold democratic values and ensure that no legislator is deprived of their constitutional rights. She flagged the suspension of 21 AAP MLAs for chanting ‘Jai Bhim’ and their subsequent denial of entry into the Assembly premises as a direct attack on democracy.
Calling the move unjust and discriminatory, Atishi questioned why no action was taken against BJP MLAs who shouted ‘Modi-Modi’ during the Lieutenant Governor’s address. “This is not just about the opposition, but the survival of democracy itself,” she asserted, warning against the dangerous precedent being set in the Delhi Assembly.
Addressing Speaker Vijender Gupta, senior AAP leader and LoP Atishi stated, “I am writing this letter with deep pain and anguish. The greatest strength of democracy lies in its impartiality and equality. However, what has transpired in the Delhi Assembly in recent days is not just an injustice to opposition legislators but also a severe blow to democratic values.”
Noting the incident, the Delhi LoP wrote, “On Tuesday, February 25, 2025, during the Lieutenant Governor’s address, ruling party legislators raised slogans of ‘Modi-Modi,’ while opposition legislators, respecting the ideals of Babasaheb Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar, chanted ‘Jai Bhim.’ It is extremely unfortunate that no action was taken against any ruling party legislator, yet 21 opposition MLAs were suspended from the House for three days merely for raising the slogan ‘Jai Bhim’.”
She further added, “The injustice did not stop there. Yesterday, when the suspended legislators were on their way to peacefully protest in front of Mahatma Gandhi’s statue in the Assembly premises, they were stopped 200 meters before the Assembly gate and were completely barred from entering the premises. This is not just an insult to the legislators but also a dishonor to the mandate given by the people.”
Addressing the Speaker, Atishi emphasized, stating, “You yourself have been the Leader of the Opposition for many years. Even when you were suspended from the House for any reason, you were never barred from entering the Assembly premises or registering your protest in front of Mahatma Gandhi’s statue. That is our democratic right. But today, the rights of opposition legislators are being trampled upon.”
She wrote, “We have seen in the Parliament of our country that even when an MP is suspended from the House, they are allowed to go to the Gandhi statue and protest. This has been a constitutional tradition that has never been broken. But for the first time in the history of the Delhi Assembly, elected legislators were not even allowed to step inside the premises.”
The LoP noted, “The rule under which opposition MLAs were stopped does not mention anywhere that suspended legislators cannot enter the Assembly gate or visit the statues of Gandhi and Ambedkar. This makes it evident that this decision was taken solely to suppress the opposition and stifle their voice.”
She affirmed, “Our Constitution grants us the right to raise our voices democratically. But if the voice of the opposition is silenced, if legislators are stopped from raising the people’s concerns both inside and outside the House, then how will democracy survive?”
Urging the Speaker, Atishi wrote, “You are the guardian of this Assembly. A guardian’s duty is to ensure equal justice for all legislators, whether from the ruling party or the opposition. I urge you to uphold democratic values and ensure that no legislator is deprived of their constitutional rights.”
“Babasaheb Ambedkar laid the foundation of our democracy by giving us the Constitution. We must protect it. This is not just about the opposition; it is about the survival of democracy itself,” the letter concludes.
