SP faces Oppn ire as Azam,Akhilesh skip crucial meet ahead of Assembly

While representatives of all parties participated in the Business Advisory Committee meeting,which was chaired by Pandey,the BJP boycotted the all-party meeting,alleging lack of seriousness on part of the government following absence of both Azam Khan and Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav. Though Congress and BSP attended both the meetings,they also raised objection to the duo’s absence.

Incidentally,later in the day,Azam also skipped Samajwadi Party Legislative Party meeting at party office on Vikramaditya Marg. The meeting was chaired by PWD Minister Shivpal Singh Yadav.

Last week,Azam had not attended the SP executive committee meeting in Agra,sore over ruling party’s inept handling of Muzaffarnagar violence. Party general secretary Ram Gopal Yadav had reacted saying Azam should have resigned if he wanted to protest.

However,matters were regarded as settled after Chief Minister personally visited Azam two days ago in Lucknow.

“Presence of Parliamentary Affairs Minister is significant in these meetings. His absence shows that the ruling party does not even have faith in the chair of the Speaker,” said BSP leader Swami Prasad Maurya,who is also Leader of Opposition in the House.

BJP Legislative Party leader Hukum Singh said,“We decided to boycott the all-party meeting as neither the leader of the House nor the Parliamentary Affairs Minister was present. We are not here for lunch.”

“The Chief Minister should have visited Muzaffarnagar soon after the violence rather than waiting for so many days,” Hukum Singh added.

Later in the day,BJP state president Laxmikant Bajpai said that it was the first time in the history of UP Assembly that neither the leader of the House nor Parliamentary Affairs Minister was present in the all-party meeting called by the Speaker before a session. “We have requested the Speaker to take cognisance of absence of both the leaders,” said Bajpai.

While Muzaffarnagar visit was cited as the reason for the absence of Chief Minister,according to sources,none could justify the absence of Azam Khan from the meeting. PWD Minister Shivpal Singh Yadav represented the government as well as the Samajwadi Party at the two meetings.

“When asked,they (the SP) could not justify the absence of the two leaders. They simply said that he (Azam) had some work at Mohd Ali Jauhar University in Rampur and is likely to be present in the house Monday,” Congress Legislature Party leader Pradeep Mathur said.

He said that all political parties requested the Speaker to extend the session,which is scheduled to last just four days,September 17 being a holiday.

“The session is being convened after almost six months and there are so many significant issues to be discussed. All of us have requested for extending the session. The Speaker said that another meeting would be called to discuss the issue,” Mathur added.