New Delhi, December 21: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Friday removed its legislator Alka Lamba from the party after she opposed a resolution demanding that Bharat Ratna awarded to former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi be withdrawn over the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, said a report. Alka Lamba went public about his objection to the resolution referring to Rajiv Gandhi.

"The Delhi Assembly today adopted a resolution, which demanded that Bharat Ratna awarded to former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi be withdrawn. I was asked to support the resolution in my speech, which was unacceptable for me. I walked out from the House. I am ready to face any punishment," tweeted Lamba, who represents Chandni Chowk assembly constituency.

The Delhi assembly on Friday passed a resolution asking the central government to strip former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi of the Bharat Ratna award over the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. The resolution said the Delhi government should “strongly” convey in writing to the Union Home Ministry (MHA) that justice continues to elude the families and near-dear ones of the victims of the worst “genocide” in the history of India’s national capital.

The AAP, however, swiftly distanced itself from the reference to the Congress leader. AAP spokesperson Saurabh Bharadwaj claimed the lines about the former prime minister were not part of the original text placed before the house and it was a handwritten amendment proposed by a member that cannot be passed in such a manner.

AAP MLA Jarnail Singh, while moving the resolution in the Assembly, had mentioned Rajiv Gandhi's name while reading the text and had demanded that the Bharat Ratna to the Congress leader be withdrawn for "justifying anti-Sikh riots".

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 21, 2018 11:25 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).