The ruling BJP and the opposition Congress party accused each other of 'murdering democracy' even as the monsoon session of the Madhya Pradesh assembly was adjourned for the second consecutive day over the issue of corruption-more specifically the recently conducted income-Tax raids on two rich city businessmen who are perceived to be very close to the ruling BJP establishment.
The opposition accused speaker Ishwardas Rohani of partisan conduct and moved a resolution for his removal.
On Monday too, the assembly was adjourned following pandemonium over the same issue, after the speaker refused to accept the opposition's demand for a discussion on the issue.
On Tuesday morning, Congress MLAs refused to enter the vidhan sabha unless their demand for a discussion in the house was accepted.
The opposition MLAs gheraoed speaker Ishwardas Rohani, confining him to his office and not letting him enter the assembly to preside over the business of the house. Later, they entered the house and moved a resolution seeking the removal of the speaker.
Later, chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said by staging a dharna outside the speaker's chamber and preventing him from entering the house, the Congress had given Madhya Pradesh a bad name.
“The Congress has murdered democracy today by behaving in such an unruly manner,” said Mr. Chouhan.
Mr. Chouhan accused the Congress of insulting tribal MLA Gyan Singh, who was presiding over the house in the speaker's absence.
“The government is ready for any discussion but it has to happen within the established rules of the house,” said Mr. Chouhan.
However, the Congress had its own allegations against the government.
“The way the speaker sided with the government, ignoring all established rules and conventions of non-partisanship, is unprecedented in the history of the vidhan sabha,” said leader of opposition Ajay Singh.
“Democracy has been shamed due to the stubborn attitude of the CM and the speaker,” he said.
The issue of the I-T raids on the two businessmen has kept political temperatures soaring for the last one month.
The Congress has been alleging the two businessmen in question—Sudhir Sahrma and Dilip Suryavanshi—were very close to chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, state BJP president Prabhat Jha and some senior RSS leaders, which had led to their meteoric rise up the commercial and political ladders in a very short time.
However, the BJP government has been tight-lipped about the raids, which came as a surprise to political analysts and people at large across the State due to the duo's perceived proximity to Mr. Chouhan.
The party has chosen to ignore a spree of allegations levelled by the opposition regarding the duo's political intimacy with the government.
The only exception has been state party president Prabhat Jha who has on several occasions been quoted saying the two businessmen were hard-working members of the state's trading community.
Further, Mr. Jha recently blamed the Income Tax department for selective leaks to the media and levelled a veiled accusation that the department was acting as an agent of centre.
