Mumbai: The opposition on Friday disrupted the proceedings in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly, demanding installation of a statue of Shivaji off Mumbai coast as per the original plans.
Displaying fake swords and wearing pagdis (traditional
Maharashtrian headgear), MLAs trooped into the well and
climbed onto Speaker`s podium shouting "Jai Bhawani, Jai
Shivaji".
Shiv Sena`s Sanjay Gavande picked up Speaker`s mace as
well, as Deputy Speaker Vasant Purke was in the chair.
Immediately thereafter, Speaker Dilip Walse-Patil took
over, and repeatedly directed the opposition MLAs to go back
to their seats, but he was not heeded.
The situation forced him to adjourn the house for one
hour.
Yesterday, members of Sena-BJP and other opposition
parties had criticised the Congress-NCP government for failing
to procure environmental clearances for the statue, proposed
to be put up in the sea (on the lines of Statue of Liberty in
USA), as per its election promise.
The opposition took exception to Deputy Chief Minister
Ajit Pawar`s statement that Government was looking for an
alternative offshore site as Union Ministry of Environment and
Forests was yet to accord the required permissions.
However, Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan later stated in
the house yesterday that the Centre had not denied permission,
and he was pursuing the matter with the concerned minister.
PTI
