AHMEDABAD: Gujarat Congress MLAs staged a walkout on day two of the monsoon session on Thursday, accusing the of biased handling of questions in the assembly. In response, the Speaker suspended 11 MLAs of Congress.
In the beginning of Session, 11 Congress MLAs disrupted proceedings by waving posters highlighting issues like the Rajkot game zone fire, a crackdown on the drug menace, action against the land mafia, and accountability for the Navsari water supply scandal. Speaker Shankar Chaudhary then directed assembly sergeants to seize the protest papers from Congress MLAs, sparking an uproar by the Congress MLA's and prompting them to walkout of the assembly.
Congress Legislature Party leader Amit Chavda alleged that party MLAs had submitted 12 short-notice questions ahead of the monsoon session, but none of them were selected for discussion.
When Assembly Speaker asked Chavda to clarify the party's grievance, he said “Only two short-notice questions were listed on thursday, both from BJP MLAs. We weren't even told why our questions were dropped. The BJP government and its ministers owe us an explanation.”
Senior Congress MLA Shailesh Parmar said,"A question raised by our legislator Gulabsinh Chauhan on a controversial sale of agricultural land in Dahod was abruptly rejected by the minister at the last moment."
In response, the Speaker reminded the opposition, "Short-notice questions are only selected for discussion with the consent of the concerned minister. Ministers cannot be compelled to answer any question."
Minister Balvantsinh Rajput explained, "The issue raised by Chauhan is sub-judice, and it's inappropriate to discuss matters currently before the court."
Unsatisfied with the explanation, Congress Leader Amit Chavda and other Congress MLAs erupted in slogans against the government, waved placards, and walked out of the House.
Following their exit, all the 11 Congress MLAs were suspended for their disruptive behavior despite repeated calls to maintain decorum. Meanwhile, four Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLAs withheld their consent to suspend MLAs.