Objects Hurled as Delhi Councillors Brawl Over Standing Committee Election

Several of them were reportedly seen throwing objects, including an half-eaten apple.

Councillors of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) reportedly came to blows at the Delhi Civic Centre on Wednesday night, 22 February.

(Photo: Accessed by The Quint)

Councillors of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) came to blows at the Delhi Civic Centre on Wednesday night, 22 February.

Startling scenes: The councillors were seen shouting, punching, and shoving each other in video clips of the MCD session.

• Several of them were reportedly seen throwing objects, including ballot boxes and an half-eaten apple, amid the uproar

• The chaos led to proceedings being disrupted at least eight times

The heated row that broke out between councillors was over the election of the standing committee – the MCD's most powerful body.

• The committee comprises six members

• The BJP alleged that a few councillors were carrying their mobile phones with them during the election – which is reportedly not allowed

• It demanded a start over of the "secret voting" which is apparently when all hell broke loose

What they're saying: "BJP Councillors just tried to attack me while I was conducting the Standing Committee elections, as per Supreme Court orders! This is the extent of BJP's Gundagardi that they are trying to attack a woman Mayor," Delhi's newly elected Mayor and AAP councillor Shelly Oberoi said in a tweet.

• "This is absolutely shocking and unacceptable!" tweeted Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal

Flip side: "Which secret voting is conducted while carrying cellphones? You know you are going to lose and you are doing this to send photos of the voting to your high command. This is reducing democracy to a joke. We demand that you cancel the 50 votes already cast," said Delhi BJP spokesperson Harish Khurana.

• "We had gone to talk to the mayor that she should listen to us and discuss with us so that a solution can be found in this matter," said BJP councillor Shikha Rai