Dehradun: The Uttarakhand Assembly was adjourned repeatedly on Monday after opposition BJP created a ruckus demanding a discussion and a high-level probe into the resignation of its MLA Kiran Mandal apparently to facilitate chief minister Vijay Bahuguna`s election to the House.
On the first day of the Budget Session, the BJP members led by leader of opposition Ajay Bhatt stormed into the well of the House to seek a discussion under the rule 310 (adjournment motion) over the entire Mandal episode.
"We have ample proof that horse-trading took place to lure the BJP MLA from Sitarganj. There should be an open discussion under rule 310 as the incident is a black chapter in the history of Uttarakhand," Bhatt said.
The BJP members also raised the issue of providing Y-category security and a red-beacon-fitted car to Mandal, who is not an MLA now.
Bhatt also urged Speaker Govind Singh Kunjwal to order a high-level inquiry into the entire issue in order to bring out the truth.
The Speaker, however, tried to pacify the opposition saying the matter can be discussed after some time.
As the din continued, the house was adjourned thrice till 1220 hours and when it reassembled at 1220 hours, Bhatt along with other BJP MLAs again took up the issue vociferously.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Indira Hridayesh said the opposition should give the government time to answer the question under the rule 310. But Bhatt said there had been amendment in the last Assembly under which the matter can be brought up when the house Assembles.
Hridayesh asked the Speaker to take a decision in the larger interest of the House. However, Kunjwal rejected the request for discussion under 310 and adjourned the house for the day.
Later, enraged BJP MLAs staged a noisy protest in the Vidhan Sabha premises calling for a high-level probe.
Talking to reporters separately, former chief minister and BJP MLA Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank described the resignation of Mandal as "the murder of democracy".
"We demand a CBI probe into the entire matter," he said.
After remaining underground for a week, Mandal last week handed over the resignation to Kunjwal. Following the resignation, the strength of BJP has been reduced to 30 against Congress party`s 32 in the 69-member house excluding a member of the Anglo-Indian Community.
PTI
