New Delhi: The clash of rebel MLA Alka Lamba with the Aam Aadmi Party again erupted Wednesday with the Chandni Chowk MLA claiming that the Delhi Assembly Speaker refused to consider her resignation on Twitter seriously, while the party said she herself had urged the Speaker to not take it seriously.
Speaking to media, she said the Speaker has called her for her part of the story on a petition filed by AAP MLA and spokesperson Saurabh Bhardwaj for her disqualification. “I was asked if I joined the Congress officially. I told him no. He also asked if I resigned from the AAP in written, I again said no. These two are facts and truth. My picture with Sonia Gandhi was shown in the Assembly. When asked about it, I showed Kejriwal’s photo with Lalu Prasad Yadav and said what is being implied from the picture about me, can also be valid about Kejriwal,” Lamba said.
She also said that as part of the conspiracy, she feels she will be asked to leave as the MLA Thursday.
Lamba and Bhardwaj accused each other of being “scared” on Twitter.
The Chandni Chowk MLA said she resigned from the party on Twitter as she was told that the party will accept that as well.
“Resignation from party and MLA post are two different things. As told by the party, I gave my resignation on Twitter. I have not resigned from the post of the MLA as the people have elected me,” she tweeted.
She said it was AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal who asked for the resignation on Twitter. “I even gave my resignation on Twitter. However, the Speaker said the resignation was not enough and so asked me to resign by Thursday, and I will not do so.”
She said Kejriwal has put pressure on Speaker Ram Niwas Goel that “if he did not disqualify me, he may lose his tickets (in the upcoming Assembly elections.”
“Now it is for the Speaker if he saves his seat or takes the decision in a lawful manner.”
However, Bhardwaj said Lamba was scared and she claimed her Twitter resignation from AAP should not be taken seriously. “After announcing her Congress joining with Sonia Gandhi, she claims everything was a lie. Can such people be trusted for anything? Is there any value of their announcements?” he tweeted.
The Greater Kailash MLA said one day she says she has become independent MLA, another day “she claims her ‘ghar wapsi’ to Congress. Now claims she is back in AAP.”
The Delhi Assembly September 11 issued a notice to former AAP leader Lamba seeking her comments by September 18 on a disqualification petition by Bharadwaj.
Lamba quit the ruling Aam Aadmi Party and announced that she has returned to the Congress after she met Sonia Gandhi at her residence.
On Bhardwaj’s petition, the Speaker has suspended four MLAs. While Anil Kumar Bajpai, Col. Devinder Sehrawat and Kapil Mishra were disqualified for their association with BJP, Sandeep Kumar was disqualified for having connections with BSP.