MUMBAI/NAGPUR: Aggressive Shiv Sena and opposition members created ruckus in Maharashtra legislature on Wednesday forcing the assembly to be adjourned over the issue of proposed Greenfield refinery project at Nanar in Ratnagiri district of Konkan region.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had assured the house on Tuesday during a debate over the issue that the project won't be imposed upon the locals. However, Shiv Sena member from Rajapur Rajan Salvi wanted to raise the issue in the state assembly on Wednesday again as the local activists had reached Nagpur to storm the assembly to oppose the project.
But, he was denied permission to raise the issue leading to the ruckus in the house. Speaker Hribhau Bagde tried to pacify the members. However, the ruckus continued forcing a few repeated short duration adjournments. Shiv Sena and Cong MLAs even tried to take away Speaker's mace and overturned a chair on the dais as the unruly scenes continued unabated in the house.
Finally, the speaker adjourned the house for the day. Initially, when the Shiv Sena members demanded permission to raise the issue under 'point of information', the Congress opposed it leading to the uproar in the house. The NCP also questioned the legitimacy of Shiv Sena's protests adding fuel to the fire. The Congress and the NCP leaders then urged the speaker to take up their notices seeking adjournment motions on the refinery issue before allowing Shiv Sena members to speak.
Nitesh Rane (Congress) said he should be allowed to speak first since he is the local MLA and his party had submitted an adjournment notice. The ruckus then led to adjournment and a meeting of party leaders was convened.
Even as a meeting of the group leaders was underway in the chamber of the Speaker, Shiv Sena MLAs kept repeating their demand, forcing the presiding officers to adjourned the proceedings for two more times. When the House reassembled after the fourth adjournment, Nitesh Rane and Rajan Salvi (Sena) climbed the podium and lifted the mace of the Speaker. Another Sena MLA Pratap Sarnaik also climbed the podium.
The MLAs couldn't take away the mace as the staff of the Speaker held on to it. During the scuffle, one of the chairs placed on the podium was overturned, following which the Speaker adjourned the proceedings for the day. Finance Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar tabled the appropriation bill which was passed by a voice vote amid unruly scenes.
All the opposition parties along with the Shiv Sena and former Chief Minister Narayan Rane's Swabhimani Party have opposed the proposed Greenfield refinery project that requires around 14,000 acres of land to be acquired. While the issue came for debate on Tuesday the Shiv Sena had kept calm.