Speaker says no Zero Hour, Cong walks out of House

Immediately after the Question Hour ended, the Leader of the Opposition Shankarsinh Vaghela rose to demand special discussion, for which he sought Zero Hour. However, Speaker Vajubhai Vala shot down the request, saying there was no such precedent or any rule that allowed such discussion without securing permission from the minister concerned first and then from the Speaker.

Amid the din, the Speaker first suspended four MLAs, following which the remaining members staged a noisy walkout. “We don’t accept the government’s stand on this matter. So we decided to walk out,” said Vaghela. He also asked who, if not the Assembly, would give a hearing on atrocities on women.

Prior to the walkout, MLAs Chandrika Baria and Mahendrasinh Bariya rushed to the Well of the House and demanded discussion in the Zero Hour on the issue of crimes against women and law and order in the state.

Congress MLAs Tejasvini Patel and Kamani Rathod also joined the demand, stating that crimes against women have increased in the state.