The Budget session of the Madhya Pradesh Assembly was adjourned sine die today, a week ahead of its scheduled culmination, due to a ruckus created by the Congress demanding a debate on the "suicide" committed by a woman allegedly married to PWD Minister Rampal Singh's son.
Due to din, Finance Bill 2018 was declared passed by Speaker Sitasharan Sharma without any discussion.
Earlier in the day, Congress MLAs, including Ajay Singh, Govind Singh and Ram Niwas Rawat, submitted to Vidhan Sabha's principal secretary a notice to bring a no-confidence motion against the speaker for "discriminating against Congress members by not allowing a discussion on various issues raised by them in the House in a bid to protect the state government".
After the proceedings of the House began this morning, the "suicide" issue led to multiple adjournments before the Assembly was finally adjourned sine die.
As soon as Question Hour started, Congress MLAs Arif Aqueel and Ram Niwas Rawat said Leader of Opposition Ajay Singh had submitted an adjournment motion on the issue, which they said is a serious matter and should be debated in House.
Responding to the demand, the speaker said the matter could be taken up after Question Hour. However, the Congress insisted that the debate be taken up immediately, triggering a war of words between treasury benches and the opposition.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Narottam Mishra said the Opposition seemed bent on stalling the proceedings of the House.
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Meanwhile, several members of the Congress trooped into the Well of the House.
Amid din, the Chair adjourned the proceedings for ten minutes.
After House reassembled, Congress MLAs raised the issue again and said the government was trying to shield the PWD minister in the matter.
However, BJP members contested their claim, leading to a chaos.
As the uproar continued unabated, the Assembly was adjourned again till 12 noon.
The House could hardly transact any business after reassembling when it was adjourned again till 1 PM, as Congress MLAs kept on demanding a debate.
As the situation didn't improve even after the proceedings began again, the Speaker adjourned the proceedings till 2 PM.
Even after the House met again, Congress members continued to raise slogans on the issue and entered the Well of the House.
Amid the ruckus, the speaker transacted the listed business including the passage of Finance Bill 2018 without any discussion before adjourning the House sine die.
The Congress has been alleging that the woman killed herself as the PWD minister's son Girjesh Pratap Singh was going to get married for the second time at the behest of his father, and was "pressurising" her to return their marriage papers".
Addressing a press conference on March 17, state Congress chief spokesperson K K Mishra said, "PWD Minister Rampal Singh's son Girjesh Pratap Singh married the woman in an Arya Samaj temple on June 20, 2017. She allegedly took the extreme step as Girjesh Pratap was going to get married again for the second time".
Mishra had demanded that Girjesh Pratap Singh be booked for abetment of suicide. He had also demanded the minister's resignation from the Cabinet.
Kin of the deceased woman had blamed the minister alleging that he was getting Girjesh married for the second time "despite the fact that the latter was already married".
Girjesh yesterday participated in various rituals held after the last rites of the woman due to protests by members of her community.
The woman allegedly committed suicide in her parents' home in Udayapura in Raisen district last Saturday.