DEHRADUN: The opening day of Uttarakhand's monsoon assembly session in Bhararisain, the state's summer capital, descended into unprecedented pandemonium on Tuesday, as opposition Congress legislators unleashed a furious protest, tearing up the agenda, hurling it across the floor, and vandalising legislative property.
The Bhararisain assembly, chosen to host the session despite monsoon travel challenges, witnessed chaotic scenes from the outset. Bhararisain, located in the Chamoli district's Gairsain tehsil, serves as the summer capital of Uttarakhand. It is situated around 14 kilometers from the town of Gairsain.
Congress MLAs not only ripped up the day's agenda but also tossed it into the air before staging a sit-in in the Well of the House. The protest escalated to physical damage, with opposition members reportedly breaking the Secretary's table, microphones, and tablets.
Assembly Speaker Ritu Bhushan Khanduri expressed her profound dismay at the destruction. "This is extremely saddening," she said, lamenting the damage to crucial legislative equipment. "The Secretary's table, mics, and tablets inside the House were broken."
The unrest continued as opposition members threw microphones and reportedly attempted to overturn tables, prompting security personnel to intervene to control the situation. The escalating chaos forced Speaker Khanduri to adjourn proceedings three times throughout the day.
As the chaos intensified, Speaker Khanduri directly appealed to the opposition, urging them "not to damage government property." She sternly reminded them that while they were free to voice their concerns, "this property belongs to the common public" and is funded by their taxes. However, her pleas reportedly fell on deaf ears as the agitated opposition members continued their protest.
The four-day monsoon session, slated to conclude on August 22, is expected to see over 550 questions posed by members. Amidst the chaos, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami tabled a supplementary budget of Rs 5,315 crore in the Assembly in the evening. Alongside, nine bills were also introduced. The House was adjourned until 11 am Wednesday.
Reacting to the day's events, Chief Minister Dhami sharply criticised the opposition, attributing their behaviour to frustration over recent electoral defeats. Speaking to reporters outside the assembly, CM Dhami lamented the "extremely unfortunate" disruption on the session's first day.
He emphasised the significance of Bhararisain as a "centre of our collective emotions," justifying the decision to hold the monsoon session there despite travel difficulties faced by MLAs and officials. The Chief Minister asserted the recent panchayat elections were "completely impartial," citing Congress victories in Dehradun, Bajpur, and a shared win in Nainital as proof of transparency.
"If the elections were not fair, how could Congress have won?" he questioned. He further lambasted the opposition, accusing them of a pattern of "baseless allegations against EVMs (Electronic Voting Machine) , Election Commission, government, and administration" whenever they lose elections nationwide.
CM Dhami stated the government intends to present several crucial bills, including the supplementary budget, and is "ready to accept suggestions" if the opposition participates constructively Key legislation introduced on Tuesday included the Uttarakhand Freedom of Religion and Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion (Amendment) Bill, the Uttarakhand Minority Education Bill, the Uniform Civil Code (Amendment) Bill, and the Uttarakhand (Uttar Pradesh Shri Badrinath and Shri Kedarnath Temple Act 1939) (Amendment) Bill.