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M.P. Assembly adjourned sine die

Staff Correspondent

Speaker, Opposition MLAs trade charges

BHOPAL: The Madhya Pradesh Assembly was adjourned sine die on Wednesday as the Opposition, led by Congress legislators, continued with their protest inside the House for the second consecutive day.

The protest was directed against the Speaker, Ishwardas Rohani, who was accused by Opposition of being discriminatory and partisan.

He was also criticised for not allowing the House to take up for discussion issues linked with public interest.

When the House assembled for the day, the Opposition MLAs entered the well of the House and continued with their protest.

Due to the din, the House was adjourned twice and thereafter, the Assembly was adjourned sine die. At one stage, the Speaker took the mike and admonished the Opposition MLAs protesting near his dais saying that never before in the history of the Madhya Pradesh Assembly have the MLAs behaved so badly.

He said that the Opposition had adopted a negative stand was running away from discussions on important matters concerning the public.

While the Opposition kept demanding an apology from the Speaker saying he was not giving enough time to the leader of the Opposition and other opposition MLAs to speak, the Speaker also sought an apology from the MLAs saying that they had made derogatory remarks and shouted slogans against the Chair.

The Speaker went on to add in categorical terms that he had done nothing unconstitutional and there was no reason for him to apologise. When the House assembled for the morning session, the leader of Opposition, Jamuna Devi, tried to make a statement on the conduct of business by the Speaker.

The Speaker responded to this by advising her to allow the Question Hour to proceed. It was at this juncture that all the opposition MLAs rushed into the well and started shouting slogans. This was followed with the adjournment of the House till 11.30 a.m.

When the House met again, the MLAs kept protesting near the Speaker's dais. Undeterred by this Mr. Rohani rushed through with the listed business. In the meanwhile, the House was adjourned once again for half-an-hour. Since the opposition kept protesting when the House reassembled, the Assembly was adjourned sine die.

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M.P. Assembly adjourned sine die

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