The budget session of Uttar Pradesh legislature today got off to a tempestuous start with opposition parties staging protest and disrupting the customary address by Governor Ram Naik to the joint sitting, from which BJP stayed away.
As soon as Naik reached the podium to read his address, opposition members, including those from Bahujan Samaj Party, Congress and Rashtriya Lok Dal, raised slogans demanding recall of the governor and dismissal of the Akhilesh Yadav government.
When the Governor's request for order in the House went in vain, he read the first and last lines of the address amidst din and left the House barely within five minutes of his arrival.
Protesting members displayed placards that read "samvidhan virodhi rajyapal, vapas jao vapas jao" (anti-Constitution governor, go back go back), "nyaypalika virodhi rajyapal, vapas jao vapas jao" (anti-judiciary governor, go back go back) and "vikas virodhi SP sarkar, barkhaast karo barkhaast karo" (dismiss anti-development SP government).
They also carried posters alleging illegal mining, jungle and goonda-raj in the state and the problems faced by sugacane farmers.
Congress and RLD members also raised issues like dismal law and order, pending cane dues to the farmers and setting up of a High Court bench in the western districts of the state.
During the over month-long session, Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav will present the 2015-16 budget on February 24.
