The rape and murder of a seven-year old girl in Haldwani triggered in the Vidhan Sabha on Wednesday with the Opposition members gathering in the well of the House and demanding discussion on the case under rule 310 while the Treasury bench maintained its stand for a discussion under rule 58.
As the House proceedings began after lunch, the BJP members started demanding debate on the issue under rule 310. leader of Opposition Ajay Bhatt stressed that a child being kidnapped, raped and murdered with the killer breaking her limbs is cause for major concern and merits discussion under rule 310.
While the House proceedings were continuing and the Opposition MlAs were raising slogans in the well of the House in support of their demand, Bhatt read out a list of criminal cases, including murders and thefts, across the State, remaining unsolved by the police.
He said that Haldwani and Pithoragarh towns were tense with markets remaining closed in protest, but the Government was avoiding debate on the issue under rule 310. Criminals from outside the State are active in Uttarakhand causing a rise in the crime graph while the government remains insensitive, he stressed.
Chief Minister Harish Rawat said that earlier, the leader of the Opposition was also present in the Assembly Speaker Govind Singh Kunjwal’s chamber where it was decided that the case would be discussed under rule 58, but later the Opposition had not even maintained the sanctity of an agreement reached in the Speaker’s chamber.
Talking to the media later, the CM said, “Pithoragarh MlA Mayukh Mahar who is also a relative of the victim and Gangolihat MlA Narayanram Arya have already conveyed the anger of the public from the area to me. I am also a father and the entire State is anguished by this case but this does not mean the issue should be politicised to disrupt the House. I have already talked to the bereaved family and we are putting in all our strength to nab the culprit and seek death penalty.
“Three teams have already been dispatched to the area with an Additional Director General of Police and Deputy Inspector General of Police already being sent to camp at the site. The police have found some clues and have been directed to solve the case as soon as possible. Though the loss suffered by the bereaved family is hard to compensate for, the State Government will provide them `10 lakh compensation for their loss apart from ensuring that the culprit is brought to justice,” he stressed.
Parliamentary Affairs minister Indira Hridayesh said that it was unfortunate that after two days in session, the House was not allowed to function.
“I have also talked to the bereaved family and they have only sought that the culprit be nabbed. On the issue of debating the case under rule 58, the loP told us that no one was listening to him on this issue, though earlier a debate under this rule had been agreed upon in the Speaker’s chamber,” she said.