BHOPAL: For the second time on Tuesday, the Kamal Nath government ignored Governor Lalji Tandon’s order to hold floor test in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly and put the matter in the court of Speaker Narmada Prasad Prajapati. In a two-page letter, Nath mentioned that in the backdrop of the trust vote being sub-judice before the Supreme Court, 16 Congress being held ‘captive’ by BJP in Bengaluru and information about BJP members having moved a no-confidence notice against the government, the Governor’s Monday evening letter was referred to the Speaker for action.
“Let our MLAs being held captive become free and breathe freely for 5-7 days at their homes so that they can then make decisions independently without any fear or favour,” Nath wrote. A complaint by brother of one of those MLAs — Manoj Chaudhary — fearing about the safety and security of the legislator was enclosed with the letter to bolster his point.
Nath contended he had proved his majority in the House through floor tests in multiple times in the past 15 months. “But still if the BJP feels that we don’t have the numbers in the House, they should bring a no-confidence motion. From what I’ve come to know, they have moved a no-confidence vote notice already, which is pending before the Speaker. The Speaker will decide over it in accordance with relevant rules and when time comes, it will be established that we still hold majority in the House.”
He also justified Vidhan Sabha adjournment till March 26 in the light of the corona outbreak. The CM, however, said he was sad over the Governor writing in the Monday evening letter “about me not following parliamentary practices and traditions. While being in politics since 40 years, I’ve always honoured all parliamentary and democratic practices and principles. But still if any of my actions have made you feel that I haven’t upheld parliamentary practices and traditions, I regret for it.”
On Monday, Tandon had issued a strongly worded letter asking Nath to hold floor test on Tuesday, failing which it would be understood that he had lost majority in the House. Meanwhile, former CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan again accused Nath of running away from proving majority on the floor of the House.