The main Opposition Congress on Monday staged a walkout in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly and did not return to take part in the discussion for the budgetary demands related to the farmers' welfare and agriculture departments alleging that the lokayukta was probing into a corruption case against the department's Minister, Gaurishankar Bisen and he should quit.
Soon after Question Hour ended, Congress members Ramniwas Rawat and Mukesh Naik raised the issue but Speaker Sitasharan Sharma expunged related proceedings, pointing out that requisite permission was not sought in this regard.
The Opposition members trooped into the well of the House and shouted slogans creating a bedlam in the House. Amid the ruckus, the Speaker allowed leader of the Opposition, Satyadev Katare to make his point.
Katare made certain comments about Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan that were expunged from the proceedings.
Sharma told Katare that he was permitted to state his viewpoint on the matter but he digressed from the issue. Amid the din, the Speaker adjourned the House for five minutes.
When the House re-assembled, Bisen informed the members that the High Court has ordered the lokayukta to probe the matter on the basis of a public interest litigation (PIl).
Pointing out that the High Court ordered probes on all such PIls, he claimed that the lokayukta had earlier closed similar cases against him twice. Katare said the Minister should resign as it would affect the probe.
Following the Minister's statement and Katare's reaction, the order was restored in the House. However, Katare and Rawat again raised the issue when discussion began on the budgetary demands for the Department. later, the Congress members, led by Katare, staged a walkout, stating that they would not take part in the discussion of the department where the Minister was facing a probe.