Shimla | TNR
The Himachal Assembly saw unruly scenes on Wednesday with the Opposition Congress party staging yet another walk-out.
A war of words broke out once again between both sides over Kinnaur MLA Jagat Singh Negi’s comments on the RSS on Wednesday.
The Opposition resorted to sloganeering and surrounded the Chair before the walk-out after an MLA from the tribal belt was disallowed from putting forward his points.
Accusations levelled
Opposition leader Mukesh Agnihotri accused forest minister Rakesh Pathania, agriculture minister Virendra Kanwar and several other BJP members of misbehaving with the MLA from the tribal belt.
He also pointed out that these BJP members were getting ready to pick up a physical fight with Negi. Brushing aside the ruling party’s comments, he said that the Opposition was not feeling threatened or afraid of the ruling party’s belligerent attitude.
Opposition’s voices being suppressed
Negi said that this was the first time in the history of the House that voices of the Opposition were being suppressed and opinions put forward by the Opposition were being stifled.
This posed a big danger for people belonging to tribal areas and OBCs, when actually the Chair was responsible for upkeep the unity and integrity of the country.
Opposition behaviour, an insult to the House, says CM
Commenting on the Opposition walk-out, Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur said such disrespectful behaviour had become a habit with the Opposition.
While arguments and counterarguments were normal in the Assembly, staging walk-outs without reason was not acceptable, he said.
Raising slogans in close proximity to the Chair, as well as shouting slogans against the Speaker was very unfortunate, he added.
Ruling party and Opposition unfurl Tricolour separately
While the Speaker asked both parties to unfurl the Tricolour together, the Opposition unfurled it separately after the walk-out and the ruling party did so separately.
Unfurling the National flag, the Chief Minister once again appealed to all people in the state to hoist the National flag at their homes on August 15.
