The Congress today protested in Gujarat Assembly over the Naliya gangrape issue, prompting the Governor to cut short his address and the Speaker to suspended opposition MLAs from the House for a day.
On the first day of the Budget session of the state Assembly, the Congress members also allegedly tried to gherao the building but were detained by police.
The opposition Congress MLAs came to the House wearing black clothes to protest the Naliya gangrape. When Governor Kohli started his speech, they started shouting slogans--"Beti Bachao, Balatkariyo se Beti Bachao" (save daughters, save daughters from rapists).
Some of them also rushed to the Well of the House shouting anti-government slogans.
Amidst the din, Kohli tried to continue reading his speech. However, after reading 4-5 paragraphs, he placed the speech on the table. He left the House later.
Later, the Congress forced two adjournment of the House by relentlessly shouting slogans against the government over the alleged gangrape case.
When the House assembled again after the adjournments, the Congress members once again rushed to the Well and started shouting slogans.
Speaker Ramanlal Vora ordered suspension of nearly 48 Congress MLAs who had rushed to the Well of the House.
Congress had started a 'Beti Bachao' yatra from Naliya to Gandhinagar from Saturday. The yatra reached Gandhinagar today and party workers tried to go near the state Assembly to gherao it.
However, police blocked all the roads leading to the state Assembly building and detained around 350 party workers, including state Congress chief Bharatsinh Solanki.
"We detained around 350 Congress party workers who tried to breach prohibitory orders around the Assembly," Gandhinagar SP Virendrasinh Yadav said.
Later, Congress leader Shaktisinh Gohil told reporters, "Our demand is that the inquiry of Naliya gangrape case should be handed over to a sitting judge of Gujarat High Court.
In an FIR filed at Naliya town of Gujarat's Kutch earlier
this month, a 24-year-old woman had alleged that she was raped by at least nine persons on different occasions about a year ago.
She alleged that the accused made a video of the act and raped her on several occasions by threatening to circulate it.
The Special Investigation Team of police formed to probe the case arrested eight persons who had allegedly gangraped the married woman in Naliya.
Those arrested included four local BJP leaders who were suspended from the party after their names cropped up in the FIR.
The woman alleged in the FIR that the accused used to run a sex racket in Kutch district and blackmail the victims.
Meanwhile, Minister of State for Home Pradeepsinh Jadeja said, "The state government is very serious about taking action in such crimes and has acted swiftly and arrested all the accused in the case."
"The Congress is trying to rake up the issue keeping in mind the state Assembly elections," he said.
(Reopens BOM 12)
Meanwhile, the ruling side sought action against Shaktisinh Gohil for questioning the Speaker Ramanlal Vora's decision to turn down Congress' notice for holding a discussion on the Naliya gangrape case.
Speaking to reporters outside the House, Gohil, who is also the national spokesperson of AICC, alleged that Vora took the decision under the influence of BJP.
During the proceedings, when the Leader of Opposition Shankersinh Vaghela insisted that the House must discuss the gangrape case before any other business, Vora said he had already accepted a notice given to him under rule 116 (calling attention to matters of urgent public importance) and the government had also agreed to hold a discussion on it.
As Vaghela insisted on a discussion today, Vora said the matter will come up for discussion in the coming days.
"It was Congress which had first given the notice under rule 116. However our notice was turned down while the ruling party's notice on the same issue was admitted. It shows the decision was taken under the influence of BJP," Gohil said, speaking to the media.
When the House met again in the absence of Congress MLAs later, Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel urged Vora to issue a notice to Gohil for making remarks against the Speaker.
Gohil must apologise, he said, asking Vora to pass an order barring Gohil from entering the House till he tendered an apology.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pradeepsinh Jadeja said Gohil's remarks were shameful and condemnable.
"There is a set procedure to accept or reject notices under rule 116, and the Speaker took the decision as per the set procedure. The Speaker must take appropriate action in this regard," said Jadeja.
However, Vora did not pass any order. "I also saw that TV interview during the break. Just to make sure that injustice is not done to anyone, I will once again watch the interview and give order afterwards," the Speaker said.
