The BJP on Wednesday agreed to continue taking part in the Chhattisgarh Assembly after its threat to unleash a "silent boycott" of the House forced the government to apologize for a slip up and underline that an opposition was needed in a democracy.
BJP members decided not to raise any question during the rest of the Budget session even while being present in the House to denounce the failure to let the former Chief Minister and the Leader of Opposition speak on an adjournment motion on Tuesday.
BJP's Ajay Chandrakar said the ‘silent boycott’ was decided as the opposition felt insulted. He said the Assembly had earlier set high traditions but Tuesday's incident had hurt them.
He added that the Leader of Opposition and former Chief Minister, being respected members, are allowed to speak on different issues.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ravindra Choubey intervened to pacify the BJP members, blaming Tuesday's failure on a communication gap. He said the error was unintentional and the incident should be forgotten with due respect to the Chair.
He said a good opposition was needed in the House and it was the duty of the opposition to draw attention to the shortcomings of the government. The House traditions should continue, he said.
The opposition members can participate in the discussion on the supplementary budget, said Choubey.
After his assurance, all members decided to participate in the proceedings. Chandrakar said the treasury benches should retain the traditions of the House.
On Tuesday when the BJP moved an adjournment motion, the Leader of Opposition was not allowed to speak, leading to ruckus and suspension of the BJP members. The Speaker revoked the suspension after five minutes.