Fireworks were witnessed on the first day of the Budget session of the State Assembly on Thursday with the members of both the treasury bench and the opposition came nearly to blows, both sides heaping invectives on one another. However, the slugfest happened when the House remained adjourned.
The Cabinet Minister Madan Kaushik, who kept his cool when the slugfest was on, finally intervened as the members were about to come to blows. Shocked observers who stood witness to the free- for- all wondered whether the people’s representatives are being sent to the House to raise the people’s voice or to resort to punching blows at the drop of their hats.
Things started as the opposition was vociferously demanding a debate on the NH-74 land acquisition scam. The treasury bench resisted the opposition move, citing that the matter is sub-judice. Furious over the treasury bench remaining determined not to allow any debate on the matter, the opposition members jumped into the well of the House, prompting the Speaker to adjourn the House. The House was adjourned twice in a short while with the pandemonium continuing. After the session recommenced the BJP MlA Deshraj Karnwal, who had submitted a question on un-touchability, rose to raise it during the Question Hour, the first question of the first day of the session. He turned livid as his voice remained unheard amidst the din. He vented his anger on the Chakrata MlA Preetam Singh who is now also the state Congress Chief, asking him to explain why the Scheduled Caste people are not being allowed to enter temples located in his constituency. Thereafter, the House saw Ranikhet MlA Karan Mahra along with Dharchula MlA Harish Dhami came close to him while abusing him, plunging the House in turmoil. Things seemingly spiralling out of control, the Cabinet Minister Madan Kaushik, who is also the State Government spokesperson, sprang up to pacify the warring trio.
The legal experts say that if BJP MlA lodges an FIR against the two Congress MlAs this might land the duo in litigation trouble as per the Supreme Court ruling. “They were spared eviction as the Speaker could not have taken any action in view of the session remaining adjourned then,” one of them said.
Observers said that the BJP MlA being prevented from raising his voice against the caste discrimination prevailing extensively in the hill areas of the state was a wrong move on the part of the opposition. However, Deshraj said that though what the Congress MlAs had done was unwarranted he would not lodge FIR against them.