Bhujbal's arrest rocks Maha Legislature

Both the Houses of Maharashtra Legislature today witnessed uproar with opposition Congress and NCP members protesting against the arrest of former Deputy Chief Minister Chhagan Bhujbal alleging that it was "vendetta politics" of the BJP-led Government.
While the Legislative Assembly was adjourned four times and the opposition members walked out of the house, the Council was adjourned for the day following ruckus over the issue.
As the proceedings began in the House, opposition members started shouting slogans condemning the arrest of the senior NCP leader, sitting MLA from Yeola in Nashik district, by Enforcement Directorate last evening in connection with a money laundering case.

The House was initially adjourned for 10 minutes and later three more times as the noisy scenes continued.
Rejecting the opposition charge, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis told the House that the ED had acted "only after concrete proof" and that the state government has has nothing to do with that.
"Should ED keep quiet if there has been corruption," Fadnavis said.

Maintaining that the arrest was not an act of vendetta, he said, "We will not help those seeking to suppress scams," adding "it is unfortunate that discussion in the House, instead of centring on drought situation, should be on this issue".

The Opposition members later staged a walkout from the House for the day, protesting the "vendetta politics" of the government.
In Legislative Council, the Congress and NCP forced the adjournment of the House for the day over the issue.
As the Upper House assembled, the opposition members, via an adjournment motion, called for the House to set aside the day's business and discuss the arrest of the senior NCP leader.
Opposition Leader Dhananjay Munde, who moved the motion, held that Bhujbal was a former Deputy Chief Minister, a former LoP, an ex-member of the Council, and his arrest has had repercussions across the state.

Responding to Munde's contention, Council Chairman Ramraje
Nimbalkar said the House usually conducts the Question Hour first and then only the adjournment motion is considered.
Dissatisfied with the Chairman's reply, the Opposition members rushed to the Well and shouted slogans following which the House was adjourned for 30 minutes.
Sloganeering against the government continued as the House reassembled, amid the government's call for conducting the Question Hour as per schedule.
"We should follow the rules of the House and thus conduct the Question Hour first. Once that is over, we can listen to what the Opposition has to say," state Parliamentary Affairs Minister Girish Bapat said.

However, as the Opposition members kept up their protest the House was adjournment again for 20 minutes.
As the slogan shouting against the government did not subside when the members assembled again, the House was adjourned for a third time for 10 minutes.
Following this, Deputy Chairman Vasant Davkhare said the Opposition was in no mood to let the House conduct its business and ordered it to be adjourned for the day.
Meanwhile, talking to reporters outside Vidhan Bhawan, Leader of Opposition in Assembly, Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil said there is politics behind Bhujbal's arrest.
"The arrest has been made at the instructions of state and central governments," Vikhe Patil alleged.

The CM has indirectly confessed that there is interference of his government in the arrest, he said.
"BJP MP Kirit Somaiya tells people of the atmosphere in ED office. The BJP MP tells people of the questions asked to Bhujbal by ED," NCP leader Jayant Patil said.
"The government has succeeded in maligning image of a senior NCP leader," he said.
"The government did not want debate on the arrest in the House and as a result, we walked out of the House for the day today to protest this oppression," he said.
"ED is acting under pressure from Somaiya," Jayant Patil alleged.

Munde told reporters that Bhujbal was arrested when he went to ED office to cooperate with the probe.
"The question in our mind is whether ED is acting at the behest of Somaiya," Munde said.