BJP skips all-party meeting called by Himachal Speaker Kuldeep Pathania ahead of monsoon session

Shimla, August 26

In the customary all-party meeting called by Speaker Kuldeep Pathania ahead of the Vidhan Sabha session here today, no one turned up from the BJP. The ruling Congress party was represented by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Harshwardhan Chauhan, Chief Parliamentary Secretary Mohan Lal Brakta and deputy Whip Kewal Singh Pathania.

It's unfortunate: Minister

The Speaker had called the all-meeting as per our democratic convention. The Speaker’s office is above party politics and skipping this meeting is against our democratic conventions. The meeting is called for smooth conduct of the House. It’s unfortunate that no one from the BJP turned up. — Harshwardhan Chauhan, Parliamentary Affairs Minister

On the absence of the BJP leaders from the meeting, the Speaker said Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur told him on the phone that he was not well and would not attend the meeting. “The other two leaders nominated by the party for the meeting were Chief Whip Sukhram Chaudhary and Vinod Kumar. I have been told that Chaudhary is in Haryana, and Vinod Kumar could not come due to the death of his uncle,” the Speaker said.

Pathania said the date for the meeting was fixed after consulting the leaders from both the parties.

Meanwhile, the Parliamentary Affairs Minister Harshwardhan Chauhan said the BJP skipping the meeting was unfortunate. “The Speaker had called the all-meeting as per our democratic convention. The Speaker’s office is above party politics and skipping this meeting is against our democratic conventions,” said Chauhan. “The meeting is called for smooth conduct of the House. It’s unfortunate that no one from the BJP attended this meeting,” he added. Chauhan further said that the Congress had always attended the all-party meeting in the past.

Following the meeting, the Speaker appealed to all members for cooperation in conducting the monsoon session. “It is an important session in which 10 meetings are being held. All members have been requested to make good use of the time of the House to raise issues related to public interest and discuss it,” the Speaker said. “The members can raise the issues related to state and their respective constituencies in the House. These issues will be discussed and the government will respond to it,” he said.

Pathania further said that members have mainly sought information regarding Indira Gandhi Pyari Behna Sukh Samman Nidhi, merger of schools, heavy rainfall and situation arising out of natural calamity, efforts made by the government to deal with the calamity, construction of roads, bridges etc., though their questions.