Stormy start to UP Budget session

The Budget session of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly today got off to a stormy start with opposition's rant on the law and order situation in the state eclipsing the entire Question Hour.

As soon as the House met for the day, members belonging to the Samajwadi Party, the Congress and the BSP vociferously raised the issue of crime across the state and protested with banners and posters in the Well.

While SP members displayed placards saying "Jhooth kapat ki ye sarkar," (This is government of lies), "Kisan virodhi ye sarkar..."(This government is anti-farmer) and highlighting the alleged poor law and order situation, Congress members raised the killing of five persons in Raebareli and alleged rise in corruption and rape cases in the present regime.
 

Adding to the commotion, BSP members showed placards on atrocities on women. One of the placards termed the present government as anti-minority.

As SP members squatted in the well of the House, Speaker Hriday Narain Dixit asked them to return to their seats.

"If you have anything to say, you go back to your seats and don't waste the precious time of the House. 22 crore people of the state are watching (live proceedings on television)," the Speaker said.

But his repeated pleas went unheeded and he adjourned the House for ten minutes, which he extended by another ten minutes as frayed tempers did not cool down.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister, Suresh Kumar Khanna said the entire opposition "was discarded by the people of the state due to their deeds. They did not have any issue to raise here. They are just trying to hog media limelight".

The Speaker said the way in which opposition members were showing placards was not allowed.

"Do you want us to start the tradition of frisking members before entering the House," an exasperated Dixit asked the opposition members.

As Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath arrived in the House and made a reference to the Amarnath terror attack, the opposition members returned to their seats.