It was pandemonium in the maiden session of the newly elected Uttar Pradesh Assembly on Monday after a ruckus by Opposition parties in their attempt to corner the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on the issues related to poor law and order, and farm loans.
Not only was Governor Ram Naik’s customary address to the joint session of the two Houses drowned out by sloganeering of Opposition parties led by the Samajwadi Party (SP), paper balls were also hurled at the Speaker’s podium. Amid whistling and slogans, the marshals around the governor were seen using files to dodge the paper missiles.
Moments after Mr. Naik started speaking, SP legislators, wearing red caps, burst into slogans and trooped the well of the Assembly, paying scant attention to appeals by Speaker Hridaya Narain Dixit. Some Opposition legislators also stood up on their chairs. The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and Congress legislators also joined in the attack on the government, which occupies significant space with a massive strength of 325 MLAs.
Legislators of the SP, BSP and Congress put up a united front as they raised placards to criticise the government on several fronts, especially law and order and the recent incidents of violence and hooliganism in Saharanpur, Agra and Bulandshahr.
SP at forefront
“Police pit rahi thanon mein , Yogi tere zamane me (‘policemen are beat up inside the stations, Yogi, under your regime),” read a placard held up a BSP legislator.
The SP, however, led the way with the slogans and placards. “ Kisanon ke saath dhokha dari bandh karo (‘stop the betrayal of farmers’),” read one of the SP’s placards.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and former CM Akhilesh Yadav were present in the House during the commotion, which was telecast live on Doordarshan. Mr. Akhilesh Yadav later posted pictures of the ruckus inside the House on his social media profiles. “Voicing our opinions on the first day of the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly session,” read the caption.
The proceedings were adjourned till Tuesday.
The BSP also targeted the BJP and asked it to stop the “atrocities” against Dalits, OBCs and Muslims.
