Opposition Congress today created a ruckus in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly demanding a debate on the "suicide" committed by a woman allegedly married to the son of state PWD Minister Rampal Singh.
The issue stalled the proceedings of the House multiple times before it was finally adjourned for the day.
As soon as Question Hour started, Leader of Opposition Ajay Singh said he had submitted an adjournment motion on a serious matter which needs to be debated upon.
Responding to Singh's demand, Speaker Sitasharan Sharma said the matter could be taken up after Question Hour, which led to a heated exchange between the treasury benches and the Opposition.
Acknowledging that the matter is serious, Home Minister Bhupendra Singh said the police are investigating and asked the Opposition to desist from blaming anybody before the probe is complete.
Congress MLAs Ramniwas Rawat, Arif Aqueel and others demanded an immediate debate on the issue.
State Legislative Affairs Minister Narottam Mishra said the Congress was raising the issue due to "infighting" within the party.
He questionned the Congress for "keeping quiet" on the issue of party MLA Hemant Katare who has been booked for raping a woman student.
Amid ruckus, the Chair adjourned the proceedings for ten minutes.
After the House reassembled, the Congress again raised the issue and demanded that minister Singh be booked in connection with the matter.
When the treasury benches raised the issue of Katare, the opposition leader said the matter was sub judice.
As the uproar continued, the House was adjourned again till 12 noon.
However, the situation didn't improve even after the proceedings began again.
Opposition members trooped into the Well of the House seeking a debate on the adjournment motion, forcing the Speaker to adjourn the proceedings for 30 minutes.
After the proceedings began, the Congress members continued to raise slogans on the issue and entered the Well again, before staging a walkout.
In the absence of the Opposition members, the speaker transacted the listed business before adjourning the proceedings till tomorrow.
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 Pratap married for the second time "despite the fact that the latter was already married".
The woman allegedly committed suicide in her parents' home in Udayapura in Raisen district last Saturday.
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