Even as the controversy over Kotkhai gangrape is yet to settle down, another gangrape of a minor in Sarkaghat in the State rocked the Himachal Pradesh Assembly on Wednesday.
The Opposition BJP stuck to its demand of having a debate on the law and order situation in the State before taking up the routine business in the Assembly, triggering pandemonium in the House.
The gangrape in Sarkaghat on Tuesday, less than two months after the horrific Kotkhai gangrape and murder, is all set to haunt the Congress Government, three months before the Assembly elections in the State.
BJP made its intentions clear to make deteriorating law and order a major poll issue.
The Assembly failed to conduct routine business on the second day also as the BJP protested against inadequate importance being accorded to the issue of law and order. As the House assembled and Speaker Brij Behari lal Butail asked for taking up the question hour, BJP members raised demand of having a debate on law and order first, suspending the scheduled business of the House. Amid turmoil, Butail had to adjourn the house for 15 minutes.
After the house re-assembled at 12.00 noon, the BJP members stuck to their demand and started raising slogans. Demanding debate on law and order first, BJP Chief Whip Suresh Bhardwaj said that while the Speaker did not allow Opposition's demand of having a debate on law and order situation under Section 67 on Tuesday, another innocent girl had to suffer the trauma of gang rape in Sarkaghat as the law and order situation under Congress rule had crumbled completely. He alleged that the incidents of rape, murders and other criminal activities had become the order of the day under the present Government.
Butail tried to pacify the Opposition by saying that he had allowed BJP's motion of having a debate on law and order situation under rule 130 and it was included in the business list of House for Wednesday.
Not convinced by Butail's assurance, BJP members said that the Speaker had not given adequate importance to the issue of law and order and it was placed in the business list at the end They said the debate should be allowed under Section 67 only.
Amid chaos in the House, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Mukesh Agnihotri said opposition should not insist for debate under rule 67 as the government was ready to discuss the issue under rule 130.
BJP members Mahinder Singh Thakur from Sarkaghat and Randhir Sharma also urged the Speaker to allow the discussion under rule 67. In the meantime, the Opposition members came to well and raised slogans against the Government and Chief Minister.
lashing out at the attitude of Opposition, Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh said that BJP members tried to intimidate the chair and the members of the BJP behaved like goons in the house. He said that the behavior of BJP members was below the dignity of a member of the august house.
Amid sharp exchanges between the treasury benches and the opposition, Butail adjourned the house for Thursday.
later, talking to media, Suresh Bhardwaj said that the just a few weeks after the Kotkhai gangrape case, the Sarkaghat gangrape was another blot on the face of the Government.