New Delhi, Feb 25: Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Tuesday tabled the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report in the Assembly, amid constant rounds of political sparring and squabbling between Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the BJP.

Soon after the address of Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena, the CM tabled the CAG’s ‘Performance audit report on regulation and supply of liquor in Delhi.’

A total of 14 CAG reports, pertaining to various departments of Delhi government, are to be tabled in the Assembly and as reports suggest they will be tabled in a staggered manner.

The tabling of the CAG report on the Arvind Kejriwal government’s liquor policy assumes significance as this was allegedly the ‘biggest scam’ during the AAP’s tenure and earned it huge backlash and anger from the common public.

A couple of its top leaders were arrested for the corruption-laden excise policy, which was later revoked. Delhi’s Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia had to give up his chair.

In the run-up to Assembly elections, the ‘liquor scam’ became a major poll plank as the BJP succeeded in conveying the message that the AAP government facilitated wide-scale corruption with its excise policy. The previous dispensation also stonewalled the tabling of the CAG report in the state Assembly.

Delhi Speaker Vijender Gupta termed the blocking of the CAG report in the Assembly a ‘criminal offence’. He said that the AAP government deliberately blocked the CAG report from coming into public domain and its act also drew harsh criticism from the High Court.

Earlier, when the House proceedings began, the AAP legislators created ruckus in the House by chanting slogans and protesting against the BJP government’s move to insult Dr B.R. Ambedkar and Shaheed Bhagat Singh.

They also tried to disrupt the L-G’s address to the Assembly. Despite directions from the Speaker, the unrelenting AAP MLAs continue to make noise.

Following this, at least a dozen AAP MLAs were suspended for the day.

Jaipur, Feb 25: The six suspended Congress MLAs were not allowed to enter the Rajasthan Assembly on Tuesday as they tried to forcibly make their way into the House but were stopped by marshalls.

The deadlock in the Rajasthan Assembly continued for the fifth day, with tensions escalating over state Minister Avinash Gehlot’s remark about former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

Although Congress MLAs have ended their sit-in protest in the House, they are firm on their demands, vowing to disrupt proceedings until the suspension of six MLAs is revoked and the Minister issues a formal apology.

The Congress MLAs ended their sit-in on Monda, but is likely to continue its boycott of the Assembly on Tuesday, said party workers.

The crisis deepened further when accusations of insulting the Speaker were added to the ongoing conflict between the ruling party and the opposition. The situation worsened after Monday’s session was adjourned, as Dotasra allegedly used offensive language against the Speaker, intensifying the dispute. As a result, the reinstatement of the six suspended Congress MLAs remains stalled.

Having left the House, the suspended MLAs are now barred from returning until further resolution.

Dotasra reiterated Congress’ stance, stating, “Until the Minister’s remarks are expunged from the records and an apology is issued, we will not participate in Assembly proceedings.”

He further asserted that if the party’s 66 MLAs are unable to attend, they will take their fight to the streets. This statement reinforces the Congress’ strategy of boycotting the Assembly.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Jogaram Patel placed the blame squarely on Dotasra, alleging that he reneged on an agreement made in the Speaker’s chamber. “It was agreed that Dotasra would express regret for approaching the Speaker’s table inappropriately, but he later refused,” Patel said.

He also condemned Dotasra’s remarks about the Speaker, calling them “highly inappropriate and unacceptable”.

Patel accused the Congress leader of deliberately orchestrating the standoff to stall legislative proceedings.

“The people of Rajasthan are watching. What public interest issue justifies this ongoing disruption?” he questioned.

Patna, Feb 24: Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) Chief Lalu Prasad Yadav criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Bihar, suggesting that it is politically motivated ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections.

In a social media post, Yadav stated, “The Prime Minister is in Bihar today, so there will be a shower of lies and statements in Bihar. It is an election year, so to confuse people, the foundation stone and inauguration of the central government’s schemes across the country will now be done from Bihar in a sham form, but Bihar will not get anything.”

During his visit to Bhagalpur, Prime Minister Modi released the 19th instalment of the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) scheme, providing financial assistance to farmers nationwide and around 77 lakh farmers of Bihar will also benefit from it.

The event drew significant attendance, including Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and approximately 500,000 farmers.

In response to Lalu Prasad Yadav’s remarks, Janata Dal (United) spokesperson Neeraj Kumar defended the Prime Minister’s visit, emphasising the developmental initiatives undertaken by the “double engine” government in Bihar.

He dismissed Yadav’s comments as baseless, asserting that the people of Bihar are aware of the progress made under the current administration referring to the collaboration between the state and central administrations.

He said that such progress is unsettling for the opposition, leading them to make “fact-less statements.” Kumar also pointed out that Lalu Prasad Yadav, due to his legal convictions, is barred from contesting elections and has been politically side-lined, implying that his criticisms may not hold substantial weight.

“Lalu Prasad Yadav, who was politically house arrest by his son Tejashwi Yadav and not allowed to go into Karyakarta Darshan Sah Samvad Yatra. He was not allowed to contest elections due to a conviction by a court of law and he is reacting to the Prime Minister’s visit,” Kumar said.