The Rajasthan Assembly yesterday witnessed uproarious scenes as BJP rebels and independent MLAs tried to prevent Governor Baliram Bhagat from delivering his address in the House. Though the effort came a cropper, the dissidents, supported by the Congress, succeeded in creating pandemonium in the house.
The charge against the Shekhawat government was led by dissident BJP MLA Gopichand Gujjar who tried to prevent Bhagat from reaching the dais. In an incident unprecedented in the history of Indian democracy, Gujjar snatched the copy of the Governors address and tore it into pieces. Dissident BJP MLA Moti Lal and JD MLA Bhunwar Lal Sharma picked the left portion of the address copy, tore it and threw the pieces into the air. One of the MLAs took hold of the Assembly rule book from the table and threw it in the air. It fell on the assembly floor and some MLAs knowingly trampled on the book, which governed their conduct inside the house.
Amidst the pandemonium, the Governor tried to read a few lines from the prepared text of the address and then signed the copy of the address, which was later laid on the table of the House.
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A proud and smiling Shekhawat, who had entered the house at 10.40 am ten minutes before beginning of the session, left the house seven minutes after the session began. The Governor was in the chair only for two minutes. The dissidents and Congress members tried to prevent Bhagat from leaving the Assembly but they failed here as well.
Throughout the initial proceedings, which lasted for seven minutes, and later, when the House reassembled only to get adjourned for the whole day, the BJP members remained silent and unprovoked.
Congress MLAs appeared to be partners to the dissidents and joined the rebels in creating pandemonium and soon took lead of the charge. By the time the Assembly adjourned for the first time, the floor near the well of the house was covered with pieces of torn text of the Governors address. A table lamp at the dais was also broken. Two dissidents, Shankar Bhanuda and Madan Mohan, who tried to lead the dissidents group at a various points of time during their recent stay in New Delhi, did not utter a word and sat throughout the proceedings with the BJP members for the fear of losing membership. When the Assembly reassembled at 11.38 am, the dissidents, Bhunwar Lal Sharma and Congress members thrashed one of the security persons, who was not in the usual white dress adorned by the marshals. The MLAs even tore the pant he was wearing. They also broke a mike.
Two former ministers, who resigned from Shekhawats government and became dissidents, Shashi Dutta and Punja Lal, were seen in an aggressive mood.
Dutta had a fight with the marshals, who tried to prevent her from reaching the speaker, who finally adjourned the house for the day. However, he got the Governors address laid on the table of the House besides allowing deputy Chief Minister Hari Shankar Bhabra to read the condolence message on the demise of senior congress leader Nathuram Mirdha and former Rajasthan Governor Chenna Reddy.
BJP suspends 3 rebel MLAs
Three rebel BJP MLAs in Rajasthan Gopichand Gurjar, Motilal and Punjab Lal Garasiya were yesterday suspended from both organisation and legislative party.
Announcing this here, the state BJP chief, Ram Das Agrawal, said Chief Minister Bhairon Singh Shekhawat had also forwarded the resignation from ministry of Garasiya to the Governor for his acceptance. He, however, refused to say anything about the fate of other rebel MLAs, who, he said, did not participate in yesterdays unfortunate violent happenings in the state Assembly during the Governors address.
Asked why the resignation of Garasiya was accepted so belatedly, Agrawal said the Chief Minister forwarded the resignation letter as soon as he received it. Garasiya had announced his resignation from the Shekhawat government much before the resignation of another minister, Shashi Datta. Dattas resignation was accepted immediately while the decision on Garasiyas resignation was kept in abeyance.