The Budget Session of the Maharashtra legislature got off to a fiery start on Wednesday, with the Opposition members attempting to disrupt Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao’s joint Address to both the House over the State Government’s “inaction” in tackling the severe drought in the State.
On his arrival at the Central Hall of the State legislature to address a joint gathering of the two Houses, the Opposition Congress and NCP members greeted the Governor with vociferous slogans against the BJP-led saffron alliance Government on various issues.
As the Governor began reading out his speech in Marathi, a section of Opposition members started shouting slogans like “Marathit bola, Marathit bola” (speak in Marathi). As the Governor began to enunciate the development measures taken by the State Government, the Opposition members repeatedly sought to disrupt him, saying “talk about farmers“.
During the course of the Governor’s speech, the Opposition legislators raised slogans against the Devendra Fadnavis Government over the contentious issues like drought, continued farmers’ suicides, the demand for closure of dance bars and the deteriorating law and order situation in the State.
“Chara paani bandh, dance bars shuru” (No water or fodder, but dance bars are back in business), “Karj mafi zalich paiyeje” (we want farmers’ loan waiver) and “Down with the Government that has ingored farmers”. The Opposition members also raised slogans demanding a new legislation banning dance bars in the State.
Undeterred by the continued slogan shouting by Opposition, the Governor read out his speech to the joint address to members of both the Houses.
The Opposition members were taken by surprise, as the State Government set a new precedent by proposing a Vote of Thanks to the Governor at the end of his joint address to both the Houses. Minister for legislative Affairs Girish Bapat proposed the vote of thanks to the Governor.
Thanks to the precautionary measures taken by the Maharashtra Government, the Governor was spared of the embarrassment of wading his way through the slogan shouting Opposition members who would have in the normal course staged a dharna on the stairs leading to the State legislature building.
In an effort to prevent the repeat of the events witnessed last year when the Opposition members had tried to block the Governor’s entry into the Vidhan Bhavan, the State Government had deployed a cordon of women security guards around the main entrance – a measure that facilitated the smooth entry of the Governor inside the State legislature building.
Earlier, setting a new precedent, the Governor was accorded a Guard of Honour by the State Government on the Vidhan Bhavan premises on his arrival to deliver a joint address to both the houses of the State legislature on the first day of the budget session.
later, a contingent of Mumbai Police accorded the Governor a Guard of Honor, while the police band played the National Anthem.
Ahead of the Guard of Honour, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Assembly Speaker Haribhau Bagade, Council Chairman Ramraje Naik—Nimbalkar and Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Girish Baat greeted with bouquets.
With no let up in their protests against the state government’s “failure” to tackle the drought conditions in the state, the Opposition NCP legislators sought to corner the saffron alliance government in the State legislative later in the afternoon, by clamouring for inclusion of farmers’ suicides in the condolence motion moved by State Revenue Minister Eknath Khadse in the Upper House.
Raising the issue soon after Khadse sought to move a condolence motion to mourn a few departed past and sitting members, leader of Opposition Dhananjay Munde said that it was in fitness of things that the Council paid its respects to the farmers who had committed suicide during the past one year.
Taking a strong exception to the Opposition’s demand, Khadse said that most farmers had committed suicide during the tenure of the previous Congress-NCP government and that if the Opposition was so concerned about farmers’ suicides, it should have started the practice while they were in power.
In his response, Munde said: “As many as 3228 farmers have committed suicide during the past one year and the number is only growing. They may have committed suicides for various reasons and I do not intend to blame anybody. But I ask, how should we be held responsible for this IJ”. It is only fair to them that this House pays its tribute to all those farmers who have committed suicide”.
What followed was a verbal duel between Munde and Khadse, with the latter objecting to the leader of the Opposition butting in when he had already begun to speak on the condolence motion.
Even as the verbal match continued between Munde and Khadse, Chairman Ramraje Nimbalkar intervened, saying he had allowed the leader of the Opposition to speak. “I thought you wanted to add to what Khadse saheb was saying. Since that is not the case, please allow the House to continue with the proceedings,” Nimbalkar told the leader of the Opposition.