The Himachal Vidhan Sabha was adjourned for the day as opposition Congress members demanding immediate discussion on two adjournment motions trooped into the well of the house and stalled proceedings. As soon as the house assembled and Speaker Tulsi Ram called for the question hour, the leader of the opposition Vidya Stokes was on her feet wanting to know the fate of notice for two adjournment motions given by her party members.
The adjournment motions pertained to the arrest of a senior BJP leader and her husband in the recruitment scam and failure of the government to take action on alleged use of liquor and money during the Renuka by-elections. Stokes said that discussion on both the adjournment motions should be taken up immediately and several other members supported her. The Speaker said that the notice for the adjournment motions was received late and as such these could not be admitted but he was ready for discussion on both the issues under different rule. The Speaker even informed the members that the discussion on both the matters has been fixed for December 21 under Rule 130, but it had no sobering effect on agitated congress members.
The Parliamentary Affairs minister Ravinder Singh Ravi said that the government was prepared for discussion on any issue but it must be permitted by the chair but the Congress members refused to relent and when the Speaker went ahead with the question hour, they started raising slogans and trooped in the well of the house and nothing was heard in the din. When the pandemonium continued even after the question hour, the Speaker adjourned the house for the day after some bills were introduced. Later talking to media persons, the Chief Minister accused the Congress of behaving in an irresponsible manner and avoiding discussions on important issues. Two important discussions on “damage caused to the crops by wild animals” and “acquisition of land for construction of roads” were slated for today but these could not be held as congress members forced adjournment of the house, he added.
Chief Minister asserted that no person found guilty in recruitment scam would be allowed to go scot free and said that the government had opposed the bail of the arrested persons. Referring to the money recovered during the Renuka assembly by-elections, he said that it was meant for day to day election expenses permissible under the election laws and that was the reason that the Election Commission did not take any action after ascertaining the facts.
