Uttarakhand assembly ends abruptly amidst opposition’s protest

Uttarakhand assembly’s four-day Monsoon session ended abruptly on Wednesday as its sitting lasted mere for 2 hours and 40 minutes. Both government and opposition held other responsible for suspension of the session marred by multiple adjournments since Tuesday.

Day two of Uttarakhand Legislative assembly’s four-day monsoon session at Gaisen was marred by continuous uproar by the opposition resulting into chaos and desruptions of the house proceedings. Amid commotion and repeated adjournments for nine times since day one assembly managed to passed nine bills and supplementary budget of ₹5,315 crore on Wednesday. Following this speaker Ritu Khanduri declared the house adjourned indefinitely even as opposition continued to create ruckus in the house demanding discussion on panchayat poll violence and law and order situation in the state.

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The session, which was scheduled to last four days, ended in one and a half days after repeated interruptions by the opposition. Among important bills passed in the house without discussion was Uttarakhand Minorities Bill paving way for creation of an authority for minority educational institutions in the state. Once implemented all minority educational institutions including madarsas will have to seek recognitions from this authority.

Apart from this assembly also passed Uniform Civil Code Amendment Bill having provision for harsher punishment to live-in relationship couples not following norms. Third major bill passed in Gairsen assembly session was anti-conversion amendment bill entailing life imprisonment for forced religious conversions.
Although government was able to pass all the bills including grants in aids under supplementary budget but it was done without any discussion in the house that barely functioned for 2 hours and 40 minutes on both days. Rest of the time was wasted in adjournments. House business was suspended five times on Tuesday and four times on Wednesday.

Meanwhile both opposition and the government held each other responsible for premature suspension of the assembly monsoon session in Gairsain.”it was clear from the beginning that opposition was least interested in allowing the session to last four days. They persistently disrupted house proceedings over an issued that was sub-judice in the high court. Two-day agenda for house business was already finalised on August 18 by assembly’s Business Advisory Committee in the presence leader of the opposition as committee member. Business for Remaining days were to be discussed on August 19 but opposition members busy in their own plan. Repeated attempts by myself, speaker and chief minister to bring them on table till Tuesday late night failed as they preferred to convert the assembly house into a lodge” alleged state parliamentary minister Subodh Uniyal.

On the other hand opposition alleged that government want to run away from facing discussion on glaring bad land order situation and violence in panchayat elections in the state. Congress MLA and former PCC chief Pritam Singh alleged “it was categorically stated in business advisory committee meeting on August 18 that assembly session will last four days but government backed off and suddenly decided to adjourn the assembly proceedings sine die. Does that means protests by opposition in the house warrants government to suspend entire session. Lok Sabha is facing repeated protests and disruptions but it’s never adjourned without completion of its session term.” Singh added “running house is not the responsibility of the opposition but that of government. They wanted to run away from the discussion in the house and so resorted to undemocratic means.”