Delhi Assembly adjourned twice as BJP, AAP spar over 'teachers counting dogs' claims

New Delhi, Jan 6 (PTI) The Delhi Assembly was adjourned twice on the second day of the Winter Session on Tuesday, with the ruling BJP MLAs seeking an apology from the AAP members for “spreading lies” that directions were issued for the counting of stray dogs by government school teachers.

Speaker Vijender Gupta had a hard time controlling the protesting legislators before adjourning the House for 30 minutes, soon after the sitting started around 11 am.

After the House reconvened, the ruling party MLAs again raised slogans against the AAP members, including their national convener Arvind Kejriwal, seeking an apology.

Gupta tried to bring the House under order as the opposition members too raised their voice in protest, before adjourning the House till 1 pm.

Education Minister Ashish Sood earlier wrote to former chief minister Kejriwal, accusing him of making “wrong and misleading statements” regarding the deployment of government school teachers for the counting of stray dogs.

In the letter, Sood said, “The government circular on this matter is already in the public domain,” and demanded a public apology from Kejriwal.

After the House resumed after lunch, Speaker Gupta referred the matter raised by BJP MLA Ajay Mahawar to the standing committee on education for a probe.

The BJP and AAP legislators also resorted to protest and sloganeering outside the House during the day.

An FIR has been registered by the Delhi Police on a complaint by the Directorate of Education, accusing certain social media users of circulating “false and misleading claims” about school teachers in Delhi being asked to count stray dogs. PTI VIT SSM ARI