AAP MLAs hold protest, demand Mishra’s ouster

New Delhi: AAP staged a protest in the house on the final day of the budget session, demanding the resignation of Delhi law and justice minister Kapil Mishra, a day after a court directed the registration of an FIR against him over his alleged role in the 2020 Delhi riots.

Following high drama, speaker Vijender Gupta marshalled out the MLAs and expelled 12 of them for "disrupting" the proceedings of the house.

Carrying placards and raising slogans, AAP legislators stormed into the well of the house, prompting the speaker to suspend Atishi, Kuldeep Kumar, Sanjeev Jha, Mukesh Ahlawat, Surendra Kumar, Jarnail Singh, Aaley Mohammed Iqbal, Anil Jha, Vishesh Ravi, Som Dutt, Sahi Ram, and Prem Chauhan. Speaker Gupta also instructed the assembly secretary to verify whether the suspended MLAs remained within the premises and were continuing their protest despite the suspension order.

After the eviction from the house, the AAP MLAs then staged a protest near Mahatma Gandhi's statue in the assembly complex, holding banners that read "Kapil Mishra Istifa Do" and raising slogans.

Leading the protests, leader of opposition, Atishi, accused the BJP of shielding Mishra. "All the accused in the riots are in jail. Why is Kapil Mishra not behind bars? We are demanding his resignation, but the BJP is protecting him," she said.

Later, in a post on X in Hindi, the AAP said: "The court has ordered an FIR against Kapil Mishra, who is responsible for the death of 53 people in the Delhi riots. But Delhi police and the BJP govt are working to save Kapil Mishra. The chief minister is not asking for Kapil Mishra's resignation."