Two adjournments marked the first day of the monsoon session of the Chhattisgarh Assembly on Monday as Congress members got into heated arguments with Treasury bench members while demanding a discussion on the Civil Supplies scam in the House.
Amid the uproar created by Congress members, Speaker Gaurishankar Agrawal rejected the proposal to have a discussion on the Civil Supplies scam issue raised by Congress member Bhupesh Baghel during zero hour.
Baghel said that there was mistrust over the way investigation was conducted by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) in the Civil Supplies scam case. The agency had narrowed the investigation and discussion should be held over the issue, he demanded.
BJP member Shivratan Sharma opposed the proposal while citing reasons that the matter was sub-judice and hence cannot be discussed in the House.
Baghel presented various rules of the legislative Assembly in support of his demand and maintained that those issues which do not affect court investigation in the case could be discussed in the House.
legislative Affairs Minister Ajay Chandrakar while objecting to Baghel's demand, quoted rules of the Assembly proceedings and said that discussion over the issue was already held earlier and hence cannot be taken up again.
leader of Opposition TS Singhdeo while presenting examples of discussion held in the House earlier over sub-judice issues said that if the Speaker wants then such matter can be discussed.
Higher Education Minister Prem Prakash Pandey argued that the charge-sheet was already introduced by the ACB in court and after discussions, the Assembly cannot instruct for adding or removing names from the charge-sheet. Also discussion in the House could affect court proceedings, he said.
The Speaker after listing the arguments from both sides observed that the ACB had presented charge-sheet against 14 officers/employees of the State Civil Supplies Corporation and Ware Housing Corporation in a special court of Raipur.
Congress members after lunch hour continued their demand for discussion and raised slogans against the Government.
The BJP legislators also shouted slogans against the Congress party. The Speaker had to adjourn the House twice for 10 minutes each before finally adjourning the House for the day.