The first House meeting of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) under Mayor Pravesh Wahi descended into chaos on Monday, with repeated sloganeering and protests by Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Congress councillors forcing the Mayor to adjourn the proceedings twice before finally calling off the session for the day.
The disruption began soon after the Mayor reached the House around 2.26 pm. AAP councillors raised slogans demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the alleged NEET paper leak issue. Holding placards reading “Shiksha Mantri istifa do”, “BJP walon sharam karo, yuvaon ke bhavishya ke saath khelna band karo”, and raising slogans such as “BJP haye haye”, the opposition councillors stormed the well of the House, disrupting proceedings.
Several AAP councillors were also seen carrying pictures of cockroaches in support of the “Cockroach Janta Party”. BJP councillors responded with counter slogans of “BJP zindabad”, leading to heated face-offs inside the House.
The councillors briefly maintained silence during the condolence resolution (shok prastav), but protests resumed soon after. Congress councillors joined the protests wearing garlands made of “Melody” toffees, in an apparent jibe linked to recent political remarks that had triggered controversy.
Amid the uproar, the Mayor adjourned the House for 15 minutes around 2.30 pm. However, as soon as proceedings resumed at 2.44 pm, protests erupted once again, with councillors continuing sloganeering and entering the dais area. The chaos intensified further around 2.55 pm despite repeated appeals from the Mayor, who said the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had already initiated action in the NEET matter.
The situation remained tense throughout the session, with BJP councillors later bringing cockroach repellents into the House as a counter-protest. At 3.45 pm, the Mayor adjourned the House for the day.
Following the adjournment, Mayor Pravesh Wahi accused AAP councillors of deliberately disrupting House proceedings instead of allowing discussions on civic issues. He said BJP councillors wanted to deliberate on matters such as sanitation arrangements and drain cleaning, but the opposition prevented meaningful discussion.
Despite the disruptions, the Mayor said several important decisions concerning civic administration and public welfare were taken during the session. He informed the House that development funds of Rs 50 lakh each had been released to all councillors to expedite local works, including road repairs, drain construction and sanitation improvements.
The Mayor also said 14 new mechanical road sweepers had been procured to strengthen road cleaning and dust-control measures across Delhi. In addition, proposals related to the integrated collection and transportation system for solid waste management in the South, West and Central Zones, along with a proposal for the construction of a community hall in Shahdara North Zone, were approved during the meeting.
He alleged that AAP councillors repeatedly disrupted discussions on crucial issues such as drain desilting and civic infrastructure. Reiterating the BJP-led MCD’s commitment to improving civic amenities, the Mayor said developmental work in Delhi would continue uninterrupted under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the leadership of Chief Minister Rekha Gupta.
