Taking the battle ahead, Opposition BJP, which had stayed away from Budget Session over the ‘bonded labourer’ remarks of Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh has now decided to publicly boycott him and not attend the meetings chaired by him.
State BJP chief Satpal Singh Satti said that it is the first time in the history of the State, that Opposition had stayed away from crucial Budget Session and the credit for the stalemate goes to Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh and his team. The BJP on Friday also staged protest outside the gate of the Assembly. “Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh had issued humiliating statements both inside and outside the House against the Opposition and till he retracts his statements and issues a public apology, BJP will publicly boycott him and MlAs and representatives of the party would not attend the meetings chaired by him,” said Satti.
He added that BJP will now move to the public and tell them how their elected representatives were humiliated both inside and outside the House. “BJP believes in democracy and when party was in power, even in public functions, Congress MlAs were allowed to speak and their names used to feature in foundation stones but now the BJP MlAs are humiliated in public,” said Satti. “Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh adopts a dictatorial approach and does not care about the elected representatives of people. He does not spare his own MlAs leave apart the BJP BlAs who are being asked not to attend the public functions saying that it is the function of Congress party,” added Satti
“On Friday, BJP legislature party has decided to publically boycott Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh and not attend the functions or meetings chaired by Chief Minister or where he is a participant,” said Satti adding that their protest is limited to Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh in person.
leader of Opposition Prem Kumar Dhumal said that it has happened for the first time that Opposition MlAs came to the Vidhan Sabha but did not attended the proceedings of the House. “Our MlAs marked absent and would not claim and travel and dearness allowance bills,” said Dhumal. “The deadlock will end only after Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh shows public regret to his remarks against the Opposition and the un-parliamentary words used in the House are expunged from the Assembly records,” said Dhumal. leader of Opposition claimed that no sincere efforts were made by the Speaker of the Assembly to end the impasse and only Parliamentary Affairs Minister Mukesh Agnihotri used to make telephonic calls to the BJP’s chief whip just to fulfil obligations.