Lucknow, July 5
Taking serious note of the video clips recoded by some legislators inside the House, Uttar Pradesh Assembly Speaker Sukhdeo Rajbhar on Thursday banned the use of mobile phones during Assembly proceedings and seized the phones used by two legislators for taking the clips.
In a ruling, Rajbhar issued a warning: "If anyone was seen taking pictures with cellphones or even if a ring was heard during the proceedings of the House, the cellphones would be seized."
Trouble first began when two ruling Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) legislators were seen taking video clips with their mobiles of some senior Samajwadi Party members, who were rushing to the well of the House protesting against the alleged black marketing of kerosene in the state.
Former minister Azam Khan, who was leading the protests, charged the ruling party legislators of committing a breach of propriety. BJP legislature party leader Om Prakash Singh joined Khan.
The Speaker asked the Assembly guards to promptly delete the video clip of the House proceedings from the seized phones.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Laljee Verma tendered an apology on behalf of the ruling party, while assuring the House that such an act would not be repeated.
— IANS
