The State Assembly was on Monday adjourned for the day as the main Opposition Congress created uproar, demanding Home Minister Uma Shankar Gupta’s resignation on the issue of gang-rape of a Swiss tourist in Datia district on Friday.
As soon as the Question Hour commenced, Deputy leader of Opposition Rakesh Singh Chaturvedi raised the issue and demanded immediate resignation of Gupta. Industry Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya said the Question Hour was important and the Congress should allow the proceedings to continue, but the Congress members started raising slogans and trooped into the well of the House.
Amid bedlam, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan agreed to discuss the issue, saying the police had arrested all the accused in connection with the incident, but the Congress members remained adamant on their demand that the Home Minister step down.
The Congress members had come to the Assembly wearing special aprons of black colour painted with the slogan, Hamara Pradesh Balatkar Mein Number One Hai (Our state tops in rape incidents)’. They continued to stalled the proceedings. Speaker Ishwardas Rohani adjourned the proceedings for half-an-hour.
When the House resumed, Rohani said the Government had agreed to discuss the adjournment motion, but the Congress members stuck to their demand which forced Rohani to adjourn the proceedings for another half-an-hour till 11.30 am. The Question Hour could not be taken up due to the bedlam.
When the House assembled after the Question Hour, Congress members again raised the issue of Gupta’s resignation vociferously and amid bedlam. The Speaker transacted the listed business without any discussion. later, when the Opposition did not heed to the Chair’s request for order, the Speaker adjourned the House for the day.