Ruckus in MC House as BJP protests Alipur fire tragedy, stray cattle attack

Anshita Mehra

New Delhi, February 26

There was a ruckus in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) House on Monday as BJP councillors voiced their grievances ranging from house tax issues to recent incidents such as the fire in Alipur and a stray cattle attack in Khanpur.

The disruption prompted the session to be adjourned within a mere 15 minutes of its commencement.

The session began at 2.38 pm, with Leader of the House Mukesh Goel offering condolences for the lives lost in the Alipur fire tragedy, which claimed 11 lives. Deputy Leader of the Opposition Jai Bhagwan also expressed condolences for the 42-year-old man who died in the Khanpur stray cattle incident. Congress leader Nazia Danish echoed these sentiments, followed by a two-minute silence.

Chaos ensued as Bhagwan questioned Mayor Shelly Oberoi about controlling stray cattle, triggering vigorous protests from BJP councillors who raised slogans and gathered at the well of the House. In the midst of the uproar, Oberoi swiftly passed all pending agendas and adjourned the session by 2.51 pm.

Addressing the issues, BJP councillor Sandeep Kapoor outlined, “We protested on three main topics. Firstly, the burden of house tax weighs heavily on the general public annually, necessitating an amnesty scheme to waive penalties and interest on property tax. Regarding the Khanpur incident, we demand Rs 1 crore compensation for the deceased’s family and increased funds for managing stray animals. We also protested against the harassment of traders and shop owners. Despite the Mayor’s promise in January to introduce a private resolution to abolish this tax, notices worth lakhs of rupees continue to be issued to them. Unfortunately, no action has been taken, and my proposed resolution wasn’t even tabled.”

In a post-adjournment press briefing, Mayor Oberoi chastised the Opposition, asserting, “Once again, the Opposition has disrupted the House session, resorting to chaos and behaving like hooligans.” She emphasised, “Instead of politicising every issue, they should prioritise addressing the concerns of Delhiites.”

Leader of Opposition Raja Iqbal Singh criticised, stating, “The Delhi Mayor conducts House meetings irresponsibly, showing a lack of understanding of the importance of time. Lakhs of rupees are wasted in organising these meetings.”