E-Paper
Himachal budget session: Assembly witnesses uproar, Congress stages walkout
Congress on Monday staged a walkout from the House during ongoing budget session of Himachal Pradesh assembly after ruling and opposition benches locked horns over remarks made by CM Jai Ram Thakur
The opposition Congress on Monday staged a walkout from the House during the ongoing budget session of the Himachal Pradesh assembly after the ruling and opposition benches locked horns over the remarks made by chief minister Jai Ram Thakur against Kinnaur MLA Jagat Singh Negi.
The opposition’s walkout was also against the ruling given by speaker Vipin Singh Parmar on the matter.
The opposition said when the chief minister was given ample time to put forth his point in the House, the opposition should also have been heard.
Congress members also created a ruckus in the House as both sides raised slogans against each other.
The squabble broke out soon after the Question Hour ended as Negi raised a point of order objecting to the remarks made by Jai Ram Thakur against him on March 5.
Negi alleged that the chief minister, in his address, scolded in a manner nobody would do to even a school student.
“I have complained to the speaker in this regard and the unparliamentary words used by the CM against me should be removed from the proceedings of the House,” demanded Negi.
He clarified that he had only criticised the policies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and not mimicked him.
Speaking on the issue, the chief minister said had Negi not violated the rules, then the situation would not have reached this point. He claimed that Negi’s behaviour has always been abusive against the Prime Minister.
“Congress members should maintain decency and restraint inside the House, as the House is not a public meeting of their party,” he said.
Defended his remarks against Negi, the chief minister said if any of his words are found unparliamentary, they should be expunged from the proceedings.
He said “it would have been better if Negi would have followed the rules instead of lecturing others on the rules of the House”.
He said the PM was not a member of this House and hence cannot defend himself. “That is why Negi couldn’t mimic the Prime Minister while commenting on him,” he said.
Taking a jibe at the opposition, he asked whether it was correct when the Congress members raised the slogan of ‘Jaiyya Mama Maananda Ni’ in the House.
He alleged that mostly it is Negi who spoils the atmosphere in the House with his words. Reacting to the opposition’s walkout, he said their only aim was to remain in the limelight.
Thakur claimed that Leader of Opposition Mukesh Agnihotri wants the ruling party to praise him, but he would be praised only when he is praiseworthy.
Meanwhile, Agnihotri said the matter will not end until the chief minister’s words about Negi are expunged from the proceedings of the House. He said every member in the House is honorable. Therefore, the CM cannot make unparliamentary remarks about any member.
BJP’s Vinod Kumar said those who are accusing the CM of using unparliamentary words should remember their time. He said in the Congress government, MLAs were called names.
Parliamentary affairs minister Suresh Bhardwaj said the behavior of the opposition violates the dignity of the House and it should be strongly condemned.
Pathania launches scathing attack on Vikramaditya’s son
Ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) member and forest minister Rakesh Pathania on the second day of the discussion on the budget in the Himachal Pradesh assembly made a scathing attack on former chief minister Virbhadra Singh’s legislator son Vikramaditya Singh for his remarks against him
He said Vikramaditya was one of the accused in the enforcement directorate case and was out on bail. The forest minister time and again referred to the enforcement directorate cases against Vikramaditya.
He made repeated attacks on the young legislator saying that he had a feudalistic mindset. He claimed that the Congress government had set up a beverage corporation for liquor business in Himachal. He accused Vikramaditya of working as a shadow minister during the Congress regime.
Congress’ Ashish Butail criticised the budget and said the chief minister’s speech had nothing except couplets. He said that nothing has been said in the budget for infrastructure development, unemployment and employees.
