Angry protests by Bahujan Samaj Party members marred the opening day of the Budget session of the UP Assembly on Friday. Slogan shouting Opposition party legislators, barring the BJP, tried to disrupt the address of Governor Ram Naik to the joint session of both Houses. However, the Governor completed his address in 17 minutes amid the din, before leaving the House.
As soon as the Governor rose to addressthe House, BSP members trooped into the Well shouting ‘Rajyapal Wapas Jao (Governor, go back) and were joined by members from Congress and Rashtriya lok Dal. Some BSP members even climbed the tables of Assembly reporters.
Posters carrying anti-government slogans were also waved. The din drowned the Governor’s address, in which he spelt out the policies, programmes and achievements of the Akhilesh Yadav government. The posters claimed that anarchy prevailed in UP in the absenceof law and order. The state government was accused of having a truck with sugar mill owners resulting in non-payment of arrears to cane growers. The BSP and the Congress alleged that the BJP had a tacit truck with the ruling party.
Reacting to this, leader of BJP in Assembly, Suresh Khanna said, “We have stressed earlier that we are against the government and we will move amendments to the Governor’s address. We oppose the content of the address, not the Governor.’’
Meanwhile, the Congress and the RlD members raised slogans against the government’s apathy in helping farmers facing famine like conditions.
The Congress alleged that `Daroga Raj’ was prevailing in UP and sub-inspectors were indulging in insubordination. The Congress demanded that the farmers’ loans in Bundelkhand be waived off as the region is facing famine like situation. The members also debunked the CM’s claims of attracting investments in the state and asked the government to table a report on investments pouring in the state in the last four years on the floor of the House.
The Congress and the BSP tried to criticise the Governor’s address after the House reassembled at 12.30 pm. However, Speaker Mata Prasad Pandey refused to entertain their plea saying they could raise this issue during the debate on the Motion of Thanks to the joint address by the Governor.
later, BJP leader in legislative Council, HN Dikshit said, “We maintained the dignity of the House during the Governor’s address by following the protocol guidelines sent by teh President of India.
Our integrity is under question for maintaining dignity and those who created unruly scenes are being projected as the messiah of democracy.’’