The Opposition parties, led by Samajwadi Party, created a din in Vidhan Sabha for second day in a row demanding roll back of power hike disrupting the proceedings of the House despite Government saying that it was ready for a debate on this issue.
It was a piquant situation when Samajwadi Party members entered the well of the House with leader of Opposition Ram Govind Chaudhry asking for debate on the issue and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Suresh Khanna insisting that Government was ready for debate.
Speaker Hridaya Narain Dixit even pointed out to Samajwadi Party members that Government is ready for debate on this issue and they should return to their seats so that debate could start. He even asked BSP legislature Party leader lalji Verma to start the debate but what he said was drowned in the slogan shouting of SP members.
At one point of time Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath intervened and said 47 member of Samajwadi Party have held the House to a ransom. CM declared that his Government was focused on giving relief to the villagers. The hike is minimal and will not withdraw that, he said.
When CM was speaking at the floor of the House Samajwadi Party members kept shouting slogans. Speaker even asked leader of Opposition that he should ask his members to come back to their seats because CM, who is also leader of the House, is speaking.
Speaker’s pleas went unheard as SP members continued shouting slogans.
Power minister Srikant Sharma too slammed the Opposition for their ‘undemocratic act’ and defended the Government’s decision to hike power tariff. “The SP members are running away from debate as they have nothing to say on it,” he said.
As the protest continued Speaker suspend all agenda of the day and adjourned the Ho for the day. Even after adjournment of the proceedings SP and Congress members squatted in the well of the House. They called off dharna after the persuasion of Speaker and Parliamentary Affairs Minister. The House will reconvene on Monday when the government will table the first supplementary budget proposal and the controversial UPCOCA Bill.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Suresh Kumar Khanna also condemned Opposition’s disruptive attitude. “Such an act is undemocratic and it should be condemned by all,” he said.
However, leader of Opposition Ram Govind Choudhury told reporters that it was their demand for rollback of power tariff hike was genuine.