After staying the night inside the assembly, opposition MLAs in Uttarakhand did not allow the House to function in the first hour on Wednesday, forcing Speaker Ritu Khanduri to adjourn the House twice within half an hour of the commencement of proceedings.
Opposition legislators did not allow the house to function during the Question Hour.
As soon as the House met for the day, opposition MLAs led by Leader of the Opposition (LoP) Yashpal Arya rushed to the well and raised the demand for discussion on law and order, alleging abduction of panchayat members at gunpoint in Nainital.
They did not return to their places despite repeated requests by the Speaker. Arya and opposition MLAs continued raising slogans against the Pushkar Singh Dhami government, alleging that it was protecting criminals and sheltering those responsible for violence in the panchayat polls.
“We demand that our request be accepted for discussion on panchayat poll violence in different parts of the state under Rule 310. Government and state administration cannot be allowed to run like this. This is a burning public issue that must be taken up by the House with urgency. We want protection from the honourable speaker as people of Uttarakhand are looking up to you,” said Arya as opposition legislators continued thumping the table of the assembly secretary in the well.
Amid the ruckus, the Speaker adjourned the House — first for 15 minutes and then till noon.
However, opposition legislators did not leave the Well even when the proceedings were resumed at noon.
As the opposition continued to create obstructions, the ruling party MLAs from the treasury benches shamed them for not allowing the House to function. BJP legislators alleged that the opposition was intentionally trying to disrupt the proceedings, as they had no regard for public issues like the Dharali disaster.
Speaker Khanduri continued to request the opposition leaders to allow the house to function, as there were important matters listed for the day-long assembly business.
Earlier opposition MLAs, including Arya, Chakrata MLA and former PCC chief Pritam Singh, deputy LoP Bhuwan Kapri, Dharachula MLA Harish Dhami, Haridwar Rural MLA Anupama Rawat, Mamta Rakesh, and others, refused to leave the well of the house on Tuesday as their demands were not accepted by the Speaker. They stayed inside the house the whole night and slept in the Well.