REET uproar in Assembly: Four BJP MLAs suspended for rest of session

During the debate on the Motion of Thanks on Governor’s speech, the BJP MLAs kept hovering around CPI (M) MLA from Bhadra in Hanumangarh, Balwan Poonia, and waved their placards facing the cameras in the House, so as to get them into the live YouTube feed being telecast by the Assembly.

Their repeated attempts led to a confrontation between the ruling party and the BJP MLAs, with some ruling party MLAs snatching the placards and tearing them. As the members had a heated exchange and allegedly pushed each other, the House was adjourned.

When the House reconvened, Parliamentary Affairs minister Shanti Dhariwal moved a proposal to suspend Chomu (Jaipur) MLA Ramlal Sharma, Ramganj Mandi (Kota) MLA Madan Dilawar, Jaitaran (Pali) MLA Avinash Gehlot, and Chittorgarh MLA Chandrabhan Singh Aakya.

“Their behaviour was condemnable. We have never witnessed such behaviour in the Assembly…They surrounded his chair and waved banners, uttered expletives, and also indulged in sloganeering and disrupted his address,” Dhariwal said, and moved the proposal to suspend the four BJP MLAs, which was passed by the voice vote.

The Assembly witnessed multiple adjournments on account of protest by the BJP MLAs. Earlier in the day, when proceedings of the House began at 11 am, BJP MLAs stormed to the Well, raising slogans in support of their demand.

Speaker C P Joshi said, “It is unfortunate, everyone has the right to speak in democracy but the Opposition cannot impose themselves on Assembly proceedings. I strongly condemn this.”

He said, “Till date, the House has been adjourned during the Question Hour only four times. Question Hour is never suspended. If this kind of wrong tradition is initiated, then Rajasthan’s Parliamentary Democracy will be in danger and BJP will be responsible for it.”

He asked the protesting MLAs to return to their seats and assured them that they will be given a chance to speak on this during the Zero Hour.

“I will also ask the government to give a statement during the Zero Hour but not if you tell me to,” he said. However, the BJP MLAs continued their protest for the rest of the day whenever the House was in session.

When the House was adjourned for the day, the BJP MLAs sat on an indefinite protest in the Well.

“There has never been such a tainted moment in the history of the Assembly when the ruling party MLAs hurled abuses in the presence of women MLAs, tore placards and indulged in sloganeering saying dadagiri yun hi chalegi (the intimidation will continue),” BJP state president Satish Poonia said.

“We had questions listed for the Question Hour and also had to speak during the Adjournment Motion. But we sacrificed all this so that we can be the voice of the unemployed and that the government listens to that voice. Whatever SOG has done till now, it has a limit. Can the SOG question a minister whose name is cropping up? Can the SOG question the Chief Minister? So if there’s an agency beyond this limit, it is the CBI. Hence we have been demanding the CBI inquiry,” he said.

Following an assurance by the Speaker that the MLAs’ suspension will be revoked on Friday, the BJP MLAs called off their indefinite protest later in the day.