Cong walkout marks last day of Assembly

To add to the growing bitterness between the ruling BJP and the Opposition,the government also moved a resolution to condemn the “irresponsible” behaviour of the Congress that failed to “perform as a constructive Opposition”.

Budget estimates of the Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board,which witnesses an extensive debate every year,did not have a single MLA raising hand to comment on. A debate sought by Congress president and MLA Kaul Singh Thakur on the drought situation could not be held either.

When the house assembled on Tuesday,Leader of the Opposition Vidya Stokes raised the issue of an adjournment motion,which the party MLAs had moved on the issue of alleged lathicharge on Congress workers during a demonstration last week.

“We are pained to note that the government is not ready to allow the Congress to raise its voice to protest atrocities against political opponents. False cases are being registered against Congress workers. Some of the questions,which the MLAs had sent,were either not listed or marked as ‘unstarred’. If you (Speaker Tulsi Ram) don’t allow us to raise all these issues,why are we (Congress) sitting here?” Stokes asked.

Before Tulsi Ram could give his ruling on this,the Congress MLAs walked out,raising slogans against the government.

Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal later criticised the Congress for defying the rulings of the Speaker and violating norms of the house.

He said: “The Himachal Pradesh Assembly is known for high traditions of discussion. But the way the Opposition has remained away from the proceedings by staging walkouts,it seems they remained unsuccessful to raise the issues of public importance. Their focus remained more on shouting slogans and rushing out of the house in protest.”

The CM added: “This is a strange behaviour on part of the Opposition,which is leaderless,issueless and divided in groups. It (Congress) has not shown scant regard to the prestige of the house,or the speaker,despite being pardoned for coming with black bands. Isn’t it a mockery of the house?”

Minister for Parliamentary Affairs J P Nadda later moved a resolution,condemning the action of the Congress,which was unanimously adopted.

The house was adjourned sine die later,with Tulsi Ram thanking the MLAs for participation in the discussions. Besides other business,he said,11 important legislative Bills were introduced and passed during the session and one sent to the Select Committee.

Cong seeks judicial probe into lathicharge on workers
A delegation of the Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee (HPCC) met Governor Urmila Singh on Tuesday and submitted a memorandum to seek a judicial probe into the incident of lathicharge by the police on Congress workers during a protest rally last week. Leader of the Opposition Vidya Stokes and HPCC chief Kaul Singh Thakur,who led the team of Opposition MLAs,submitted another memorandum to seek a CBI probe into the video CD episode,involving BJP MP Virender Kashyap who was purported to be shown accepting money to get a work done. Talking to the media later,Stokes said: “The government is suppressing the voice of the Opposition and the people by using police force against them. Leaders and workers of the Congress are being implicated in false cases. The police rained canes on the workers when they were dispersing after a peaceful rally. What provoked the superintendent of police to order lathicharge needs to be thoroughly probed.” Stokes said the Congress legislature Party had passed a resolution to condemn the government’s decision to not register an FIR into the lathicharge. Kaul Singh Thakur lashed out at the BJP government for criticising the role of the Opposition in the Assembly.