Congress stages walkout in Uttarakhand Assembly

Dehradun: Opposition Congress today staged a walkout in the Uttarakhand Assembly stressing on its demand for a neutral probe into allegations that a BJP leader tried to extort money from a rice mill owner in Udham Singh Nagar district at the behest of a state minister.

Raising the issue in the House during Zero Hour through an adjournment motion, Leader of Opposition Indira Hridayesh alleged that a BJP leader from Udham Singh Nagar district tried to extort Rs 2 lakh as "rangdari" from a rice mill owner from Khatima and when the latter refused to pay, he threatened him with dire consequences taking the name of a state minister.

The Congress leader also submitted a pen drive to Speaker Prem Chandra Aggarwal, claiming that it contained an audio clip of a telephonic conversation between the rice mill owner and the BJP leader.

She also requested the Speaker to take cognisance of an FIR lodged in connection with the incident.

However, state Parliamentary Affairs Minister Prakash Pant contested the demand for a probe, saying that the FIR never named any BJP leader and it was subsequently withdrawn by the mill owner, who described his conversation with the said leader as a "friendly" one and denied that he was ever issued a threat.

Not satisfied with Pant's reply, the Congress members led by Hridayesh walked out of the House, accusing the state government of "protecting the corrupt".