The Madhya Pradesh Assembly was on Monday adjourned till Tuesday following uproar by the main opposition Congress over the alleged beating up of a party legislator during the recent municipal polls in Katni.
The Assembly's Winter Session commenced on Monday with newly-elected members Sanjay Pathak (Vijayraghavgarh), Saurabh Singh (Bahoriband) and Gopal Parmar (Agar) taking oath. A nominated member of the Anglo-Indian community, Ms loren B lobo, also took oath on the occasion.
Singh, who was allegedly attacked during the municipal polls, arrived in a wheel chair to take oath. The House then paid tributes to the leaders departed during the inter-session period.
Soon after the House re-assembled, senior Congress member Mukesh Nayak raised the issue of Singh being attacked and demanded that Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan make a statement in the House in this regard and order an impartial inquiry into the matter.
Speaker Sitasharan Sharma urged the Congress member to not disrupt the Question Hour and raise the matter under appropriate rules later. However, Nayak continued his demand and several Congress members stood up in his support.
later, while talking to media persons, Madhya Pradesh Parliamentary Affairs Minister Narottam Mishra described the behaviour of the members of the main opposition Congress in the Assembly as inappropriate.
"The Congress has become frustrated following their resounding defeat in the recently-concluded municipal polls in the state. The party has become bereft of issues with no potential leader among them," Mishra told reporters in the Vidhan Sabha premises here.
He said that Congress members created ruckus in the House without any reason and alleged that Congress leaders were not interested in discussing issues related to public welfare.
Speaking about Congress legislator Saurabh Singh being beaten up during municipal polls in Katni, Mishra said the Government was serious over the matter but the Congress did not appear serious.
"Important business was listed on the opening day of the Winter Session today. Discussion could not take place on the call attention on agriculture-related matter and a report concerning Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe," he added.