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Delhi legislators cutting across party lines on Thursday refused to start a discussion on law and order in Delhi, condemning police commissioner Y. S. Dadwal who didn’t turn up despite being invited.

The discussion has been rescheduled for Monday after Dadwal failed to turn up even after the assembly was adjourned for 30 minutes and he was called again.

Normally, heads of government departments are invited to listen to what legislators have to say and they usually attend unless busy.

Dadwal gave the assembly the miss even in the last session but came after the House was adjourned over his absence. Dadwal sent his second- in- command, special commissioner ( administration) Neeraj Kumar, to attend the session.

Before adjourning the House, Speaker Yoganand Shastri asked chief minister Sheila Dikshit to ensure that the commissioner turned up in 30 minutes.

Coming out of the House after Dadwal didn’t arrive even after the adjournment, Dikshit told reporters that all legislators wanted the commissioner to attend and that it was a serious issue.

Speaker Shastri called it a contempt of the assembly as he came out of the House after adjourning the session till Friday afternoon.

“What’s the point if all of us here voice our worries over worsening law and order while the man in charge of ensuring safety of citizens is not present to hear us,” said leader of Opposition V. K. Malhotra. “ Dadwal’s absence in the assembly is a serious issue of contempt of the House and an insult to the CM,” he added.