Ruckus in SDMC House as AAP Councillor Tries to Tear Shirt to Show Sad State of Civic Affairs

In a bizarre incident, AAP councillor and Leader of Opposition Prem Chouhan allegedly attempted to tear off his shirt to "register protest" during the proceedings of the BJP-led SDMC House which witnessed a huge uproar on Friday.

While Chouhan claimed it was a "symbolic protest" to show the alleged "poor condition" of the areas falling under the civic body, South Delhi Mayor Anamika condemned the incident as "indecent behaviour" and said this has "lowered the dignity" of the House. In a statement issued later, the mayor said Chouhan "tried to tear off his cloth" after stepping into the Well of the House and that this inicident is an insult to women members and herself.

"We condemn the incident by the AAP and its leader of opposition, and a complaint has been lodged with the disciplinary committee, and appropriate actions will be taken against the AAP councillors who indulged in the incident, so that in future, no one repeats such a behaviour," the mayor was quoted as saying in the statement.

Chouhan, when contacted, claimed, "I have done nothing wrong" and "won't apologise". "Three of our newly nominated AAP MLAs had come to the House and they wanted to put forth their views, but they were not allowed to speak. We protested and demanded that they be allowed to express their views," he said.

Chouhan alleged that some of the mediapersons were "told not to air visuals" of the incident. Soon, the arguments in the House turned into heated exchanges between members of the treasury and opposition benches.

Photographs circulated on social media purportedly showing an AAP member standing on the bench while others crowded near the Well of the House and raised anti-BJP slogans. Chouhan later stepped into the Well of the House and allegedly tried to tear off his shirt, but only a few buttons got undone, an SDMC official said.

The House was then adjourned after some time, the official said. Chouhan said that as elected representatives, “we have a right to express our views and people's problems. Only trying to depict the poor condition ('fatehal') of Delhi by that symbolic protest.” The BJP controls all the three municipal corporations, and in the 104-member SDMC Hoise, AAP is the principal opposition besides Congress.