Amidst disruption by Opposition parties, the farewell session of UP Assembly commenced on Wednesday. Even as members of rival parties engaged in creating a din and engaged in slogan shouting, Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav presented the second supplementary budget for the current fiscal.
The Question Hour was washed out as the Opposition did not allow the House to function. As soon as the House assembled for the day, the entire Opposition rushed to the well with BJP and BSP members jostling with each other to reach the reporters' table.
Members of the BSP, BJP, Congress and RlD, raised 'anti-government' slogans and showed banners and posters to the Chair.
The banners and posters depicted the plight of farmers, Muslims and other communities. law and order, corruption and hardships faced by the common man due to demonetisation were the major issues raised by the Opposition.
Speaker Mata Prasad Pandey tried to persuade the members to keep calm and let the Question Hour continue on the last Assembly session. Parliamentary Affairs minister Azam Khan also exhorted the Opposition to maintain order and questioned the commotion by the BJP and BSP members.
The House witnessed noisy scenes as Azam Khan demanded to know why the BJP mebers were demanding his resignation. As he querried why should a 'fakir' give details about his 'jhola', agitated BJP members and rushed to the well of House but later returned to their seats.
With the Opposition members refusing to relent, the Speaker adjourned the House till 12.20 pm. later, menbers of Opposition parties sat on a 'dharna' in the well and their leaders spoke to the media outside the House justifying their protest inside the House.
BJP leaders also demanded the resignation of Parliamentary Affairs minister Azam Khan for his comment on the Bulandshahr gang rape incident for which he was forced to tender an unconditional apology as per directive of the Supreme Court.
BSP leader Gaya Charan Dinker raised the demonetisation issue and held the SP government responsible for the plight of farmers, Muslims and poor. The business advisory committee of the house has approved the agenda only for the two days, but the session is likely to be extended.
later, the House took the obituary references on the death of former CM Ram Naresh Yadav with Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav moving the resolution of tribute.
After a two-minute silence, Speaker Mata Prasad Pandey adjourned the House for the day. Ram Naresh Yadav (88) was the CM of UP from 1977 to 1979 and also served as Governor of Madhya Pradesh from August 26, 2011 to September 7, 2016. He died in lucknow after prolonged illness on November 22.