Assam Opposition MLAs barricade Speaker

Some 50 Opposition legislators prevented Assam Assembly Speaker Tanka Bahadur Rai from entering the House for close to an hour on Friday.

Some 50 Opposition legislators prevented Assam Assembly Speaker Tanka Bahadur Rai from entering the House for close to an hour on Friday.

HT Image

They were protesting his "bias" toward the ruling Congress-led coalition.

The Opposition comprising BJP, CPM and regional parties relented after the Speaker held an all-party meeting and assured 'political security' for all MLAs. He also expunged the proceedings over the past two days that saw abuses flying in the House. The barricading of Rai was unprecedented though his predecessor Debesh Chakraborty was in 1993 boycotted by the Opposition on similar charges.