The issue of law and order and the delay in the Panchayati Raj elections rocked the Rajasthan Assembly on Tuesday, forcing Speaker Vasudev Devnani to adjourn the house multiple times.
The Question Hour progressed smoothly in the morning for most of the time. However, the trouble erupted when LoP Tika Ram Jully tried to intervene, seeking clarification over a reply to a question on the situation of law and order from the Congress member.
The Speaker did not allow it, saying, “Only the member concerned can raise a supplementary.” This met with strong protests from Jully and other party colleagues. They said the LoP has the privilege to intervene; however, the Speaker remained unrelenting.
Unhappy over the Chair’s ruling, opposition Congress members trooped into the well and resorted to aggressive slogan shouting. The members were protesting against the denial of the discussion on adjournment motions and the delay in the Panchayati Raj elections, and the state of law and order.
Speaker Devnani was forced to adjourn the house until noon. However, most of the protesting members continued to stay in the assembly hall. On reassembling, the slogan shouting resumed in the well, forcing the Speaker to take up Zero Hour. He delivered rulings on notices of the adjournment motions amid the din. However, he could not finish the task amid pandemonium in the House and adjourned the House until 2 pm.
The atmosphere in the House was so tense that even marshals stood in alert mode encircling the podium, and on a couple of occasions, they were seen in a scuffle with the members. Two opposition women MLAs were seen scuffling with women marshals.
After adjournment of the House, chamber parleys resumed in the Speaker’s office, which was attended by Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma, LoP Jully, and other leaders from the Treasury and the Opposition Benches.
However, the effect of Chamber parleys did not reflect in the House when it reassembled. Opposition members raised slogans, and appeals by Speaker Devnani went unheard, forcing him to adjourn the House for 15 minutes.
The agenda of the day included discussion and passage of the crucial Anti-Conversion Bill 2025.