The Uttar Pradesh legislature will mark Mahatma Gandhi's 150th birth anniversary with non-stop 36-hour sittings by both Houses that the opposition has decided to boycott, claiming that the state government is just out to set a record.
The simultaneous sessions of the state assembly and legislative council will begin at 11 am Wednesday, the Gandhi Jayanti.
They will continue through the day, into that night and end on Thursday night -- without a break.
The lawmakers are to discuss the sustainable development goals set at the United Nations, as well as Gandhi's life and vision.
But the Congress, the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party will keep away.
"We will boycott this session which has been called only to set a record, Congress Legislature Party leader Ajay Kumar Lallu said, lashing out at the Yogi Adityanath-led BJP government in the state.
The government has nothing to do with the people's problems. Loot, murder, rape and other crimes have increased under the present dispensation and the government is not doing anything," he claimed.
SP spokesperson Rajendra Chowdhury said the party had other plans for October 2.
Party president Akhilesh Yadav has decided to hold an event at the Mahatma Gandhi statue in Lucknow.
"As all our MLAs and MLCs will be busy in the programme, it's unlikely that the SP will attend the session," he said. "The party will pay tribute to Mahatma Gandhi on Wednesday and sing his favourite hymns to propagate his ideology of truth, non-violence and harmony," he said.
Sources said the BSP has also decided not to attend the special session.
The BJP's former ally Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party (SBSP) chief Om Prakash Rajbhar claimed that the BJP government is organising the session only for registering it in the Guinness world records".
"The BJP is not concerned about the people. The motive behind holding the special session is only to set a record," he said.
The state Cabinet had decided last month to convene the special sessions of the two Houses on October 2. Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly Speaker Hriday Narayan Dixit said the House will discuss Mahatma Gandhi's life, teachings and vision during the session.
He said the event will be a first for the state, and the public is curious to know about it. In a statement, he appealed to all political parties that they should participate in the special session as promised by them.
Asked to comment about the boycott planned by the opposition parties, he said, "I am fully confident that they will participate.
All leaders have promised that they will participate in the programme and they will do so," he said.
Among them, he listed Leader of Opposition Ramgovind Chaudhary (SP), Lalji Verma (BSP), Ajay Kumar Lallu (Congress), Neel Ratan Singh Patel 'Neelu' (Apna Dal-S) and Om Prakash Rajbhar (Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party).
It was after the leaders of all parties agreed that the decision to convene a 36-hour-long special session was taken," he said.
He said all parties agree on truth, non-violence and the Mahatma Gandhi's vision for the development of the state and the country.
Uttar Pradesh is the biggest state of the country. Through this special session, there will be a wide range of discussions on the goals set by the United Nations," he said.
The goals relate to poverty alleviation, gender inequality elimination, malnutrition, health for all, energy for all, education for all, nutrition, drinking water and gender equality.
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