Madhya Pradesh Assembly adjourned sine die

After the Opposition Congress created uproar alleging corruption by government during the Kumbh Mela in Ujjain

July 30, 2016 12:00 am | Updated 05:57 am IST - Bhopal:

Madhya Pradesh Legislative Assembly was adjourned sine die on last day of Monsoon Session on Friday after the Opposition Congress created uproar alleging corruption by government during the Kumbh Mela held at Ujjain in April.

Listed business

Before adjourning the House for indefinite period, Speaker Sitasharan Sharma transacted the listed business even as he had to adjourn the proceedings twice for 10 minutes each during Zero Hour due to ruckus by the Congress.

Earlier, acting Leader of Opposition Bala Bachchan and Congress legislators Mukesh Nayak, Ram Niwas Rawat and Jeetu Patwari, among others, insisted for accepting their adjournment motion, which they had submitted earlier, on the issue of “corruption” in Kumbh Mela.

Though the Chair did not accept the motion, the Congress members insisted on moving the motion during a meeting of the Business Advisory Committee.

However, the Speaker allowed them only to mention the motion in Zero Hour.

Raising the issue during the stipulated time, Mr. Nayak levelled allegations of graft, which were vociferously objected to by the ruling BJP MLAs.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Narottam Mishra then requested the Speaker to allow the government to respond to the charges of Opposition, to which Congress members raised strong objection.

Bedlam

Amid the bedlam, the Speaker adjourned the house for 10 minutes.

However, Mr. Nayak resumed his attack after the House re-assembled, to which Mr. Mishra again requested the Chair to allow him to reply on the Congress’ charges.

Amid heated exchanges between the treasury and the Opposition benches on the issue and uproarious scenes, the Speaker again adjourned the proceedings for 10 minutes.

Even after the Assembly resumed its sitting, Mr. Nayak and Mr. Mishra did not relent.

The Speaker then said he had allowed Mr. Nayak only to raise the issue and not to give a speech.

Congress members then rushed to the Well of the House raising slogans against the Speaker and the ruling party.

Pandemonium

Amid pandemonium, the Speaker transacted the listed business. However, as his appeal to restore order fell on deaf ears, he adjourned the Assembly sine die.

Later, talking to reporters in the Assembly media room, Ms. Bachchan and Mr. Nayak alleged irregularities pertaining to purchase of toilets, pitchers, and shoes during the religious fair.

They also alleged corruption in the organisation of ‘Malwa Utsav Mela’ and pegged the overall “graft” to the tune of Rs 3,000 crore.

Commenting on the proceedings in the House, they alleged that the Speaker did not admit their adjournment motion “at the behest of government and to save Mr. Mishra’s close relative who was the in-charge of the Kumbh mela.”

Last day

However, the minister said he failed to understand the Congress’ insistence on admitting the motion only on the last day of the session.

“In order to let down Bachchan, who is a ST leader, the Congress raised the issue on the last day only when their general secretary Digvijaya Singh tweeted the matter recently,” Mr. Mishra claimed.

He said the entire show on the floor of House today was “staged” by Congress members with an intention to raise their “stock” in eyes of their leaders.

“This is the reason that state unit Congress president Arun Yadav and other leaders remained present in the visitors’ gallery to keep an eye on their party leaders,” Mr. Mishra claimed.

Not possible

Refuting the Congress’ charge that Speaker did not admit the adjournment motion “at the behest of government”, he said: “The Chair has a lot of official and non-official business to transact on last day of session, and it was not possible for him to accommodate the motion. If they (Congress) are serious about it, they should have raised it from day one.”

On the allegations against his close relative, Mr. Mishra said the Congress members are free to lodge a complaint against him with the Lokayukta or can approach court.

“There is no substance in their allegations,” he added.

Mr. Mishra said, “Congress members have inflated figures of purchases in the Kumbh Mela by adding few zeros before actual amount, to make it a big issue.”

Meanwhile, the Congress has demanded a CBI inquiry into the “Kumbh Mela scam”.

“We want the CBI to probe the Kumbh Mela scam,” State unit Congress president Arun Yadav told reporters outside the Legislative Assembly. - PTI

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