BJP stages walkout over walkout confusion

Alleging the walkouts staged by party MLAs were not being recorded properly in proceedings of the Himachal Pradesh Assembly, slogan-shouting BJP members today trooped out of the House.
As soon as the House met, BJP's Rikhi Ram Kaundal during Question Hour raised the issue of walkout by the party members yesterday.
Kaundal said according to the Speaker it was not a walkout as he had adjourned the Vidhan Sabha before the BJP members left the House.
The BJP member insisted the House was in session when his party members walked out and it should be recorded as such in the proceedings.

Leader of the Opposition Prem Kumar Dhumal said the BJP had all respect for the Chair but the issue of walkouts against the government not being registered in the Vidhan Sabha proceedings was coming up time and again.
Asserting the House proceedings were not being recorded verbatim, he said "as per the rules, the members should get copies of the proceedings of the House on the same day but this is not happening. The members are not getting these even on the next day."

Speaker B B L Butail asserted the proceedings of the Vidhan Sabha were being recorded properly.

Health and Family Welfare minister Kaul Singh Thakur said there was no discrepancy in the recording of proceedings and insisted the BJP members were present in the House when it was adjourned by the Speaker yesterday evening.
Agitated over the reply of the minister, the BJP members raised slogans and staged a walkout.
The Congress members said the term "walkout" should be redefined.
The BJP members returned to the House after the Question Hour was over.