Unperturbed by the vehement opposition both inside the Assembly and outside it, the Uttarakhand Government tabled the contentious ‘The Uttarakhand Char Dham Shrine Management Bill, 2019’, in Assembly on Monday.
On the receipt of the agenda for the day, the Congress MLAs got irked when they found mention of the Char Dham Shrine board bill in it. The Congress members were up on their feet as soon as the house assembled and demanded that the Government should withdraw the Char Dham shrine board bill as the Government has taken neither the stake holders nor the opposition into confidence on the issue.
The leader of opposition (LoP), Indira Hridayesh said that the government made no mention of the shrine board bill during the meeting of the business advisory committee. She said that the Congress party would not allow the Government to get the bill passed slyly. As the speaker Premchand Agarwal tried to start question hour, the agitated Congress members started shouting slogans against the Government.
They wanted that the Government should either withdraw the bill or send it to the Select committee for further discussions. Defending the Government’s decision, the parliamentary affairs minister Madan Kaushik said that all the processes were followed in bringing in the bill.
Unsatisfied by the minister’s reply, the Congress members marched to the well of the house and started vehement slogan shouting in which they blamed the Government for being anti religion. Kedarnath MLA Manoj Rawat, Ranikhet MLA Karan Mahara and Dharchula MLA Harish Dhami were most vociferous in their opposition. Amid pandemonium, the speaker adjourned the house till 11.30 am. The din in the house continued when the house reassembled.
The speaker was seen requesting the members to let the house continue as many issues are needed to be discussed. Clarifying the Congress stand, the LoP Indira Hridayesh said that the Congress wants the house to function but respecting the sentiments of the members the shrine board bill should be sent to Select committee. After failing in his attempt to persuade the Congress members who were protesting while squatting in the well of the house, the speaker further adjourned the house till 12.00 noon. However Congress members continued their protest which forced speaker to adjourn house till 12.20 pm.