BHOPAL: All kinds of protests-demonstrations and sloganeering will be banned in the Madhya Pradesh Vidhan Sabha during the monsoon session, starting from July 28.
The circular recently issued by the Vidhan Sabha secretariat ahead of the session mentions the Assembly’s speaker, Narendra Singh Tomar, under the Standing Order 94(2), prohibiting all kinds of sloganeering and demonstrations within the Vidhan Sabha premises.
Reacting to the standing order, the deputy leader of opposition and second-time Congress MLA Hemant Katare, while opposing the order, said, “It’s a move to crush the democratic voice. We’ve been elected by the people and sent to the Vidhan Sabha to raise burning issues of public concern and also ensure that people’s money isn’t embezzled or misused.”
“When we raise the issues of public concerns, particularly corruption through questions and try to the wake the government from slumber, the government either remains silent, gives unsatisfactory and misleading replies or runs away from responding to the questions, which forces the opposition to protest/demonstrate often near the Mahatma Gandhi’s statue in the state assembly’s premises. Staging symbolic protests when the government neglects issues of public concern is our democratic right and we will continue to do it, irrespective of the circular/order issued by the state secretariat,” Katare said.
“Staging protests inside the House may not be correct, but staging protests outside the House, but within the Vidhan Sabha premises, cannot be banned. We oppose this dictatorial order and will continue to demonstrate on people’s issues within the Vidhan Sabha premises to wake up the government from slumber,” he maintained.
A former BJP MLA who has represented his constituency in western MP for three terms, before losing the 2023 polls, also said that such an order wasn’t required. “As per my memory, never has such an order/circular been issued for any Vidhan Sabha session,” he added.
The Vidhan Sabha’s monsoon session starts on July 28 and is scheduled to continue till August 8. It will comprise a total of ten sittings.
As per Vidhan Sabha sources, a total of 3377 questions have been submitted by the MLAs of the 230-member House for being asked during the session.