Day 1 in UP: Governor’s speech cut short

When the House reassembled at 12.30 pm and the presiding officer Harishchandra Shrivastava began citing excerpts from the Governor’s address, Leader of Opposition Azam Khan, Congress’s Jagdambika Pal and the SJP’s Ram Govind Chaudhary objected to it, saying he could not place the excerpts of the Governor’s address in the House as it had not been read.

Talking about the proceedings in the House, Congress Legislature Party leader Pramod Tiwari said: ‘‘There was no strategy for today as there was no scope to vote on any issue. However, a strategy has been worked out and will be seen in the House when we get the opportunity to vote on any issue.’’

The Opposition is likely to get that opportunity when the resolution on the no-confidence motion against Speaker Kesari Nath Tripathi is taken up in the House on March 4. Tripathi, for his part, has decided not to sit on the Chair till a decision is taken with regard to the motion against him. ‘‘I will not preside till the House is confident of my functioning,’’ said Tripathi.

Among other things, the placards displayed by the Opposition read Mayawati ka baj gaya baja, POTA mein nahin rahega Raja, which was obviously to highlight the invocation of POTA against Raghuraj Pratap Singh a.k.a. Raja Bhaiyya. The Governor had justified the use of POTA by the state, saying: ‘‘My government is of the firm opinion that no criminal shall be allowed to terrorise or harass the people, howsoever influential he may be.’’

He had also put forth government opinion on vexed Ayodhya issue. ‘‘…The Ayodhya issue should be resolved either through mutual agreement or through the verdict of the court. My government is fully determined that no such incident as may have potential to disturb peace or destroy communal harmony will be allowed to take place,’’ said Shastri.

Two legislators were brought to the House nder police supervision, Mukhtar Ansari (an Independent MLA recently convicted under TADA) and Uday Bhan Singh of the BSP. Three other MLAs believed to be absconding but seen in the House were Akhilesh Singh of Akhil Bhartiya Congress Dal (ABCD), Vijay Singh (Independent) and Rajaram Pandey of the Samata Party. All three have already pledged their support to the Mayawati government.