The Himachal Pradesh Assembly on Friday saw BJP walking out for the second consecutive day, this time on the issue of amending the Governor’s speech.
Miffed over the rejection by Speaker Brij Bihari lal Butail for including 3 amendments brought by the BJP, the opposition members raised slogan in the house before staging a walk out.
Despite the walk out for around 10 minutes, the proceedings continued without interruption.
The scene heated up, when BJP leaders insisted for inclusion of their amendments in the Governor's address, presented by Acharya Devvrat on March 1. As the house was about to begin the four day long discussion on Governor's address, BJP legislators stood up and started demanding inclusion of three amendments brought by them.
BJP chief whip Suresh Bhardwaj said that there was no mention of announcements of 61 National Highways in the state or the funds released by the Centre to the Gram Panchayats. He also raised objection on non-inclusion of the Charge-sheet filed by the opposition to the Governor on the issue of rampant corruption in the State.
He demanded that the amendments should be duly listed in the business so that these important issues figure out in the discussion on the Governor's address.
Setting aside the objections of the opposition, Speaker BBl Butail ruled that the proceeding rules did not allow inclusion of amendments in Governor's address. Rejecting the proposed amendments, Speaker said that the Vidhan Sabha Secretariat had not found the amendments appropriate for consideration of the house.
In an effort to pacify the shouting opposition, Speaker said that he applied Rule-24 of HP Assembly to reject the amendments as he could turn down any amendments or motions which he found inappropriate for discussion in the house.
leader of Opposition Prem Kumar Dhumal argued that Vidhan Sabha Secretariat was not competent to allow or reject any amendments, brought for discussion in state assemblies, lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha and if they have done it they should asked to confirm about the
precedence.
Butail also said that the BJP members could raise the proposed issues in their discussion on the thanks giving motion on Governor's address and he would allow them time to do so.
Appreciating Speaker for rejecting the amendments, Parliamentary Affairs minister Mukesh Agnihotri said such amendments were never listed for discussion in the house, even during the regime of Prem Kumar Dhumal. He said that the BJP members were trying to set a wrong precedence by insisting for inclusion of the amendments.
Retorting the allegation made by Agnihotri and others, Dhumal said that Congress members never brought such amendments as they did not performed their constitutional duties while in opposition. He said that rejecting their amendments was an injustice with the opposition.
BJP member Ravinder Singh Ravi also said that speaker did not exercise his duty after rejecting their amendments without considering its merits however Governor's address did not mention the three issues raised by them through the amendments.
Congress member Jagjivan Pal brought the motion on Governor's address supporting it however he made scathing attack on the Narendra Modi Government for imposing financial emergency in the country. The Motion was supported by the Sanjay Rattan of Congress.
Touching the issue of Demonetisation in his supporting words for the Thanks giving motion, Rattan said Centre Government had maintained implacable silence on the issue of financial blues, while hundreds of people lost their lives due to anti-people move of demonetisation.