During the monsoon session of the Delhi Legislative Assembly, BJP MLA Tarvinder Singh Marwah openly expressed his dissatisfaction with his own government. In his address during the session, he appealed to Speaker Vijender Gupta that ministers must be present in the House under Rule 280.
Tarvinder Singh Marwah: The monsoon session of the Delhi Legislative Assembly this time witnessed political turmoil when MLA Tarvinder Singh Marwah, from the ruling party itself, bly criticized his own government. The BJP MLA sharply questioned the absence of ministers and concerned officials in the House, saying that there is no one to listen when public interest issues are raised. He clarified that under Rule 280, when MLAs raise issues of public interest, it is mandatory for ministers and officials to be present in the House.
Tarvinder Singh Marwah's Statement in the House
During the monsoon session in the Delhi Legislative Assembly, BJP MLA Tarvinder Singh Marwah, while criticizing his own party's government, said, "It would be better if ministers are present in the House under Rule 280." To this, Assembly Speaker Vijender Gupta replied that there is no such instruction in Rule 280.
But in response, Marwah said, "I agree that there is no such rule, but it is the duty of the ministers to be present in the House. When we MLAs speak in the House, there should be someone to listen." He further said that not only ministers, but also officials related to Rule 280 should be present in the House so that there can be effective dialogue on issues of public interest.
Questions Raised on the Absence of Officials as Well
Tarvinder Singh Marwah also expressed concern over the absence of officials in the House. He asked the Speaker of the House whether it is necessary for officials to be present in the House under the rules. To this, Vijender Gupta said that this is a valid point and this issue will be considered. This statement by Marwah heated up the atmosphere in the Assembly. Along with the opposition, some ruling party MLAs were also seen openly supporting this issue.
Meanwhile, the opposition party Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) supported this b statement of BJP MLA Tarvinder Singh Marwah and targeted the working style of the Delhi government. AAP MLA Sanjeev Jha shared a part of Marwah's speech in the House on his Twitter account and wrote, "BJP's own MLA exposed the government's shortcomings."
He said that the ruling party MLA said in the House that when MLAs raise issues of public interest under Rule 280, it is the duty of the ministers to be present in the House. Officials should also be present in the House. Sanjeev Jha further wrote, "When the ruling party MLA has to say that there is no one to listen to issues of public interest, it clarifies how serious the Delhi government is about issues of public interest. The House is empty, ministers are absent, officials are missing, and the Chief Minister is enjoying himself — this is the governance of the Delhi government."
Question Mark on Political Environment and Governance
Tarvinder Singh Marwah's statement has raised serious questions about the activity and accountability of the Delhi government in the assembly sessions. Members of Parliament and MLAs raise issues of public interest in the House so that the government can listen to them and take prompt action. But if ministers and officials are not present in the House, proper resolution of these issues is not possible.
This problem is not limited to Delhi only, but the absence of ministers and officials in assembly sessions has become common in many states of the country. In such a situation, a big gap is created between the expectations of the public and the efforts of the MLAs.
