Opposition: ‘UP CM must apologise for unparliamentary remarks’
LUCKNOW: Having decided to boycott the remaining sittings of the budget session of UP Assembly in protest against the unparliamentary language allegedly used by chief minister Yogi Adityanath in his speech, the entire Opposition, including SP, BSP and Congress, sought the CM’s apology saying that their protest was aimed at saving the dignity of the House. The Opposition has given a boycott call protesting against the alleged misbehavior of the CM while concluding his budget speech on July 19.
On Friday, the Opposition MLAs reached the House with masks on their mouths in order to convey that the government was trying to muzzle the Opposition’s voice not only in state Assembly, but in the Parliament also with an obvious reference to the resignation of BSP chief Mayawati from Rajya Sabha for the same reason. “It is a kind of undeclared emergency in India. Opposition is not being allowed to raise issues of public interest,” said Leader of Opposition Ram Govind Chaudhary.
Chaudhary was joined by the leaders of BSP and Congress in lodging a vociferous protest by claiming that the audio and video CDs of CM’s speech in House would be dispatched to the President, Prime minister and Lok Sabha Speaker seeking action against him. “He should tender an apology for threatening to send Opposition leaders to jail, otherwise the boycott will continue,” said Chaudhary.
However, exhorting the Opposition to join the proceedings and participate in budget discussion, state parliamentary affairs minister Suresh Khanna said that if Opposition did not join the proceedings , the session would conclude on Monday instead of July 28.
“They are trying to suppress Opposition. Has it ever happened in the parliamentary history of India, that when the Leader of Opposition was speaking, his mike was switched off,” asked Congress’ Ajay Kumar Lallu.