Uproar in NDMC House, Dalit councillor alleges corruption in her ward, storms Well

Dramatic scenes were witnessed during the proceedings of the BJP-led NDMC House on Thursday as a woman councillor stormed the Well, alleging corruption by some of the party members and claimed that she was ''not being allowed to work'' in her own ward as she was a Dalit.

Nangloi councillor of the North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC), Jyoti Rachhoya was recently expelled from the BJP.

As soon as the proceedings began, Rachhoya, wearing a twin-sided banner bearing slogans and flag of the party, stormed the Well of the House, shouting ''Narendra Modi Zindabad, Amit Shah Zindabad''.

Soon, in a distraught state, she alleged that there was corruption happening in her own ward by a few members of the civic body, and that development-related work was not bejng allowed as she is a Dalit councillor.

A few other women councillors tried to pacify her, but to no avail, as she screamed that ''today, I will say it, I cannot be silenced''.

Later, she broke down and kept shouting slogans, following which women security staff tried to move her out of the House.

She then apparently fainted on the floor but soon regained consciousness, when she was finally taken out of the House.

Rachhoya in the past has also alleged corruption by a few BJP members of the House.

North Delhi Mayor later told reporters that if she had any grievances, she should have approached him, but that was not the way to conduct in a House. ''I have no other comments,'' he said.

In a statement issued by the NDMC, the mayor was quoted as saying that the corporation will ''soon release a fund of Rs 50 lakh to all the councillors for development work in their respective areas, so that all the councillors can do development work in their areas for the citizens''.

He also said the corporation officials have been directed to expedite the ''regularisation work of daily wager 'Safai Karamcharis' till 2003''.

Singh said NDMC will provide appointments to the dependents of employees who died while working amid the COVID-19 pandemic, adding that the civic body has given the ''entire outstanding salaries of all the employees and officers''.

Leader of Congress Opposition Mukesh Goel said due to the ruckus in the House by Rachhoya and AAP members, proceedings of the House were adjourned.

He also sought to know as to why the weekly markets were not being allowed to reopen, even when most of the other commercial activities have been resumed in a phased manner.

Goel said that in 2020, weekly markets of Delhi were closed for six months, and in 2021, these weekly markets are now closed for the last three months. Due to the failure of the municipal corporation, the shopkeepers of the weekly markets are suffering, he alleged.

PTI KND SRY