LG's address sparks sloganeering in Delhi assembly

• The BJP MLAs, in a joint statement, said that they will corner the Kejriwal government
• Delhi minister Saurabh Bharadwaj said the session will focus on making Delhi a modern
• The annual budget for 2023-24 will be presented by Kailash Gahlot

The budget session of the Delhi Assembly got off to a stormy start on Friday as some BJP MLAs were kicked out of the House for protesting during Governor VK Saxena's speech as the opposition party and members of the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) raised slogans against each other.

AAP targets LG and Center over Manish Sisodia's arrest and BJP moves no-confidence motion against Arvind Kejriwal government. The session will begin with an address by the Governor (LG) and the budget will be presented on March 21, officials said.

 An Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader said the arrest of former deputy chief minister Sisodia and how the lieutenant colonel interfered in the work of the elected government would be discussed in the meeting. “The party will also raise the issue of LG's involvement in the incident of prominent social activist Medha Patkar in 2002. We will also raise the issue of misuse of CBI and ED by the BJP-ruled Center and interference of LG in the functioning of the government. " he said. 

Another senior AAP functionary said, “The biggest problem is the misuse of CBI and ED by the Centre. World's best education minister Manish Sisodia has been put behind bars in a fake case. That is Delhi's biggest problem.” In a statement, Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly Ramvir Singh Bidhuri said the BJP would move a no-confidence motion against the Arvind Kejriwal government for its involvement in “corruption”.

In a joint statement, the BJP MLAs said they would oust the Kejriwal government as two of its ministers were behind bars and it was facing charges of "scams" involving liquor policy, classroom construction, electricity subsidy and snooping by the feedback unit. "In such a situation, this government has no moral or constitutional right to be in office and a motion of no confidence in the government is filed," it said.

BJP MLAs have issued notices to discuss serious issues of Delhi in the assembly and they want all issues to be discussed so that the truth can come before the public, he said. Issues like corruption, air pollution, drinking water crisis, collapse of transport system, non-opening of new schools and colleges, shortage of teachers, irregularities in mohalla clinics and pollution of Yamuna will be raised by opposition MLAs, he said. 

The annual budget for 2023-24 will be presented by Kailash Gahlot, who took charge as finance minister after the CBI arrested Sisodia in connection with the alleged liquor scam.