Atishi Slams BJP’s ‘Dictatorship’ Move Suspended AAP MLAs Blocked from Delhi Assembly

Tensions flared in Delhi on Thursday, February 27, 2025, as suspended Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLAs, including Leader of Opposition Atishi, were blocked from entering the Delhi Assembly complex. The dramatic standoff unfolded after police, citing a directive from Speaker Vijender Gupta, set up barricades to stop the lawmakers from accessing the premises.

The AAP MLAs were suspended on Tuesday for three days after they disrupted Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena’s address in the Assembly by raising slogans. The uproar stemmed from their protest against a Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report on the now-scrapped liquor policy under the previous AAP government. Today, they planned to enter the complex but were met with resistance, sparking a fresh wave of accusations.

Atishi called the move “open dictatorship” by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government. “This is unheard of in India’s history—elected MLAs barred from the Assembly premises. They can suspend us from the House, but how can they stop us from entering? I can’t even reach my office as LoP,” she said. She demanded a written order from the police, who claimed they were acting on the Speaker’s instructions but had no paperwork to show.

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Outside the Assembly, AAP MLAs staged a noisy protest, holding placards and chanting slogans against the BJP. “The moment BJP took power in Delhi, dictatorship began. This is an attack on democracy,” Atishi told reporters, accusing the government and Speaker of overstepping their authority.

Delhi Minister Parvesh Verma defended the suspension, arguing that the AAP MLAs had broken Assembly rules by interrupting the L-G’s speech. “Such behavior isn’t acceptable,” he said, standing firm on the decision.

The BJP government has promised to table all 14 pending CAG reports from the AAP’s tenure during this session, though none are slated for today. The clash highlights the growing rift between the two parties, with the liquor policy report fueling political fireworks.