Raj assembly witnesses smooth beginning followed by pandemonium & Oppn walk-out

Proceedings in the Rajasthan assembly started on a smooth note on Wednesday, but pandemonium returned in the House when the Opposition Congress members protested against the ”dissatisfactory replies” from ministers.

In contrast to a stormy beginning of the House proceedings on the opening day of the monsoon session on Monday and also during several sittings in the previous budget session, the assembly proceedings began smoothly with the Question Hour.

Advertisement

Outside the House, the grand old party members this morning protested at the Western Gate of the assembly building against the “apathy” of the state government over the issue of the death of seven students in the Piplodi school ceiling collapse in Jhalawar district on July 25.

The opposition MLAs, including Leader of Opposition Tika Ram Jully and former Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot, held a condolence meeting at the gate to pay tributes to the seven deceased school children in the ceiling collapse.

The opposition members attended the House proceedings wearing black bands on their arms as a mark of protest over the issue.

However, this peace proved to be short-lived, as later, arguments ensued between the members of the Opposition and the Treasury benches over the question of Rohit Bohra (Congress) about the installation of smart electricity meters. This led to pandemonium, and Opposition members trooped into the well.

Demanding that smart electricity meters be withdrawn, Opposition members staged a walkout.

Soon after, the Opposition members returned to the House, but the ruckus ensued on the issue, and Speaker Vasudev Devnani was forced to adjourn the House early for lunch.

Later, outside the House, LoP Jully said that the opposition wanted to run the House smoothly, but the minister’s reply was unsatisfactory on the centrally imposed scheme of smart electricity meters.

Whip of Opposition Congress, Rafeek Khan, said, “We would not allow the adoption of smart meters; we would protest against it.”

However, Energy Minister Heera Lal Nagar dismissed their contention, saying, “The smart meter scheme was introduced by the then Congress-led government in 2022.”