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BJP walkout over Speaker's `absence'

Lucknow: In an unusual incident, the chair of the presiding officer in Uttar Pradesh Assembly remained vacant for little over 15 minutes after the scheduled sitting of the House prompting protests from the BJP members, who termed it unparalleled and staged a walk out.

To the dismay of the Opposition members, Speaker Mata Prasad Pandey, after entering the House immediately adjourned it for two hours without assigning any reason. The adjournment was further extended by another hour.

There was no quorum in the House when it assembled in the morning and the bell kept on ringing for over five minutes.

BJP member Luxmi Kant Bajpai said the House was not in order as the Speaker's chair was vacant.

Terming absence of the Speaker as ``undemocratic and unconstitutional'', Mr. Bajpai offered to the Parliamnetary Affairs Minister that if agreed upon he could preside over the House as he was one of the members on the presiding officers' board.

Congress Legislature Party leader Pramod Tewari, however, said there was nothing illegal about it though it was wrong politically and morally.

BSP members alleged that the House had been adjourned to enable the ruling party members to attend the birth centenary function of socialist thinker Ram Manohar Lohia.

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