Uttarakhand Oppn to boycott Budget session

Amidst the continued stalemate between the Government and Opposition members over the issue of caste certificates...

Amidst the continued stalemate between the Government and Opposition members over the issue of caste certificates, the entire Opposition on Wednesday decided to boycott the remaining Budget Session of the Uttarakhand Assembly. The state budget will be presented on March 10.

On the third day of the Budget Session, the entire Opposition, comprising members of the Congress and the BSP, continued to sit in a dharna in the well of the House to demand a discussion on the issue of caste certificates.

Speaker Harbans Kapoor ruled that since a House committee has been looking into the matter, there was no need for a discussion. Moreover, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Speaker Parkash Pant assured the House that caste certificates were being issued as per the earlier system. However, the Opposition members alleged that the BJP Government has started discriminating with the lower castes and Dalits in issuing caste certificates needed for reservation in admissions and jobs.

The Speaker then requested the Opposition members to leave the House, but no one budged. Leader of Opposition Harak Singh Rawat said that since the Government was unwilling to listen to them in the Assembly they were left with no alternative but to boycott the entire session. At 4.45 pm, the House was adjourned for the day.

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