Assembly in session: Ruckus, sloganeering in House, BJP stages walkout

Tribune News Service

Shimla, September  2

The ongoing deadlock between the government and the Opposition in the Vidhan Sabha today escalated with a perturbed Opposition staging a walkout on being denied to raise a Point of Order before the start of business.

House will be run as per rules: Speaker

• Speaker Kuldeep Pathania said the House will be run as per rules and what the rules do not permit will not be allowed. “My endeavour has always been to give maximum time to all the members, especially the Opposition, so that important issue of public interest could be raised in the house,” said Pathania
• Condemning BJP's unruly behaviour, Revenue Minister Jagat Singh Negi said under Rule 67 only very urgent matters can be raised and the BJP has moved a resolution under this rule only to create a sensation

The session started on a stormy note as Speaker denied BJP legislator Vipin Parmar a Point of Order, seeking adjournment motion for debate on financial health of the state on the ground they he could raise the issue only after the question hour. Despite Pathania declining the request of the Opposition, the BJP MLAs, including Leader of Opposition, remained adamant on their demand, while raising slogans.

Complete pandemonium prevailed in the House as nothing could be heard in the din. The BJP legislators indulged in sloganeering as the Speaker ordered the start of the question hour. Finally, the entire Opposition walked out.

Following the uproar in the Assembly, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said the unruly behaviour of the BJP is the result of intense bickering and power struggle within the Opposition whose behaviour is highly irresponsible. “The government is willing to answer every query of the Opposition but they are only interest in getting political mileage by creating ruckus and staging walkouts.

“It is for the first time that the monsoon session has 10 sittings to enable members to raise issues of public interest and concerning their constituencies but the BJP only wanted to do create uproar to make headlines. They are simply wasting the precious time of the House,” the Chief Minister remarked.

Condemning the personal attacks by the Opposition against the Speaker Parliamentary Affairs Minister Harshwardhan Chauhan said the walkout by BJP was nothing but political gimmickry. “The Opposition is not interested in raising real issues despite the BJP legislators being given much more time by the Speaker. The government is open to constructive opposition,” he said.

Condemning BJP’s unruly behaviour Revenue Minister Jagat Singh Negi said under Rule 67 only very urgent matters can be raised and the BJP has moved a resolution under this rule only to create a sensation.

Speaker Kuldeep Pathania said the House will be run as per rules and what the rules do not permit will not be allowed. “My endeavour has always been to give maximum time to all the members, especially the Opposition so that important issue of public interest could be raised in the house,” said Kuldeep Pathania.

He said this morning, a notice for adjournment motion was received from Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur, Vipin Singh Parmar, Sukh Ram Chaudhary, Satpal Satti and others under Rule 67, related to non-payment of salary allowances and pension of employees and financial bankruptcy.

“On August 28, a notice under Rule 130 was received from MLA Kewal Singh Pathania and two others regarding the financial condition of the state which was sent to the government for necessary action and its reply has also come,” he revealed.

Pathania said in such a situation, the issue of financial health of the state can be discussed in the House only under Rule 130. He rejected the adjournment motion given by the opposition members in this regard.