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Pandemonium in Uttarakhand Assembly

C. K. Chandramohan

DEHRA DUN: Pandemonium broke out in the Uttarakhand Assembly on Wednesday, the first day of the Budget session, with the entire Opposition – led by the Congress and the Bahujan Samaj Party -- entering the well of the House shouting slogans, seeking a discussion on the law and order situation in the State and alleged breakdown of the intelligence machinery.

The House was adjourned for 15 minutes to begin with, and thrice thereafter. The day’s business, however, was transacted and passed by a voice vote even as the din continued when the House re-assembled after an hour.

The House will now meet on July 2 when Chief Minister Bhuwan Chandra Khanduri will present his maiden Budget.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Prakash Pant later described the Opposition’s behaviour as unfortunate. Citing Constitutional technicalities, he said any member could raise only one matter of serious import concerning the State under Section 310. The Congress instead tried to bring up four issues – arrest of terrorists from Uttarakhand by Central and other States police organisations, murderous attack on an MLA, suicide by a freedom fighter on dharna outside the residence of the District Magistrate of Hardwar, and the Neelam Sharma murder case.

The BSP, however, raised only one issue under Section 310.

The Leader of the Opposition, Harak Singh Rawat, Dinesh Aggarwal, Pritam Singh and others could be seen raising slogans against the Government that had failed to safeguard the State from terrorists— some of whom had been arrested by Intelligence Bureau and Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force teams from Kotdwar in Pauri district, Muni Ki Reti near Rishikesh and Sahaspur near Dehra Dun city even as the State police and intelligence agencies were sleeping.

The BSP members, shouting slogans like “Dalit Virodhi Sarkar Nahi Chalegi”, wanted a discussion on the alleged fake “encounter death” of Arvind, a dalit, who had been picked up by the Hardwar police on May 24.

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Pandemonium in Uttarakhand Assembly

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