Showdown in Delhi Assembly: AAP MLAs Suspended Over Ambedkar Portrait Protest

Delhi Assembly Speaker suspended 21 AAP MLAs, including Atishi, for disrupting the Lieutenant Governor's address. The protest was over the alleged removal of Ambedkar's portrait. The suspension, proposed by PWD Minister Parvesh Verma, will exclude them from assembly proceedings on February 27 and 28.

In a dramatic turn of events, Delhi Assembly Speaker Vijender Gupta suspended 21 AAP MLAs on Tuesday, including Leader of Opposition Atishi. The suspension comes amid a protest over the alleged removal of B R Ambedkar's portrait, which disrupted Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena's inaugural address.

The proposal for suspension, initiated by PWD Minister Parvesh Verma, was passed by a voice vote, sidelining the MLAs from participating in assembly proceedings scheduled for February 27 and 28. The incident highlights the ongoing tensions between the AAP and the BJP government in Delhi.

Commenting on the suspension, Delhi Minister Ravinder Indraj Singh accused AAP of creating chaos to conceal corruption. Meanwhile, AAP alleged that the portrayal of Ambedkar and other iconic figures had been unjustly removed. The BJP countered the claims with photographs of the displayed portraits, dismissing AAP's allegations.

(With inputs from agencies.)