Rice Bags Inside Delhi Assembly: AAP Protest Over Rice Scam Ends With 8 MLAs Marshalled Out

A political showdown over an alleged rice scam erupted in the Delhi Assembly on Tuesday, with eight Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLAs being marshalled out after protesting against Food and Civil Supplies Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa and demanding his resignation.

The confrontation unfolded on the final day of the Assembly’s Monsoon Session. AAP legislators staged a dramatic protest outside the House, sitting on the floor in front of Leader of Opposition Atishi’s office with large bags of rice. They raised slogans including, “Gareeb ka chawal kahan gaya?” (Where did the rice for the poor go?).

AAP has been raising the issue since the session began on August 7, alleging that subsidised rice meant for Delhi’s poor and migrant population was diverted to a private company in Haryana.

After the lunch break, AAP MLAs entered the Well of the House carrying placards and raising slogans demanding Sirsa’s resignation. Speaker Vijender Gupta warned them against repeatedly disrupting proceedings. When they continued their protest, he directed marshals to remove them.

The eight MLAs marshalled out were Sanjeev Jha, Jarnail Singh, Kuldeep Kumar, Som Dutt, Ajay Dutt, Virendra Kadyan, Surinder Kumar and Chaudhary Zubair Ahmed. Kuldeep Kumar resisted the marshals and was lifted from the floor as officials escorted him out.

Sirsa rejected the allegations, saying the Delhi government had neither bought nor sold any rice. He said his department had only received a representation from a company and that he had written that it could be considered according to rules. He accused AAP leaders of spreading false allegations and warned of defamation proceedings.

Delhi AAP chief Saurabh Bharadwaj hit back, questioning why a proposal concerning subsidised rice allegedly remained pending in Sirsa’s office for three months before being forwarded and approved on the same day.

Bharadwaj also questioned why the proposal was sent to a junior officer and why the government had not publicly disclosed details of the alleged rice distribution.

Sirsa accused AAP of using the controversy to divert attention from the Delhi Lakshmi Yojana, under which eligible women will receive Rs 2,500 monthly.

The clash also triggered a dispute over remarks by PWD Minister Parvesh Sahib Singh, with AAP arguing that only the Speaker has the authority to order marshals to remove MLAs.