JAIPUR: The deadlock stalling proceedings in the Rajasthan Assembly for the past week finally came to an end with an apology from Leader of Opposition Tikaram Julie.
Offering an apology on behalf of the Congress party, Julie expressed his sentiments poetically, saying, "Aao milkar koi wajah dhoond lein ek hone ki, Yoon bikhre na tum acche lagte ho, na hum." (Let’s find a reason to unite; we don’t look good when we are scattered like this.)
Julie further stated, "Whatever happened was wrong, and I apologise on behalf of the opposition."
However, Speaker Vasudev Devnani interrupted Julie, asserting, "I heard that an apology would be made for whatever Dotasara did."
In response, Julie clarified that the apology was indeed being offered for Govind Dotasara’s remarks and actions, which he admitted were not in line with the dignity of the chair. Julie emphasised the need for both the ruling party and the opposition to ensure that such deadlocks do not occur in future.
Acknowledging the ruling party’s role, Julie added, "I want to thank the Leader of the House for taking the initiative. However, had the ruling party been willing, these discussions could have taken place much earlier."
Earlier, Julie was invited for discussions by the government, after which he met with Parliamentary Affairs Minister Jogaram Patel in the chamber of Assembly Speaker Vasudev Devnani. Following these talks, a resolution was reached, bringing the seven-day-long impasse to a close.
Sources indicate that initial efforts to resolve the deadlock began with a discussion between Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma and former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot.
While arriving at the Assembly on Thursday morning, Gehlot had remarked to the media, "This should end so that debates can take place in the Assembly. The treasury and opposition benches should cooperate, and there should be no ego from either side. This tension is unnecessary."
Subsequently, Julie was called in for further discussions, which ultimately led to a mutual agreement in Speaker Vasudev Devnani’s chamber. Additionally, Rajasthan BJP President Madan Rathore, accompanied by CM Bhajanlal Sharma, also met with the Speaker. Following Julie’s apology, the membership of six MLAs who had been suspended from the Congress was restored.
However, Congress state president Govind Singh Dotasara has yet to issue an apology on the matter. Additionally, there has been no reaction from Minister Avinash Gehlot, who had made the controversial remarks about Indira Gandhi.