Assembly adjourned after heated exchanges, sloganeering over ‘unparliamentary words’

Treasury and Opposition members today locked horns in the Assembly over the use of unparliamentary and objectionable words, forcing Speaker Kuldeep Pathania to adjourn the House.

Trouble broke out when the Speaker said that the word ‘corruption’ could not be used unless it was backed by proof. “Contemptuous charges made by MLAs without reference to rules will not be allowed. Indecent words, which are provocative and create tension, will not form part of the record,” he added. The Speaker ruled that he would run the House strictly as per the Rules.

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu urged the Speaker not to expunge his remarks on the grant of concessions to investors given by the previous BJP regime, as his government had the proof of irregularities. Leader of the Opposition Jai Ram Thakur objected to aspersions being cast on his government over the grant of a customised package to investors. The Speaker adjourned the House at 12.30 pm amid pandemonium.

The Speaker also rejected the notice for a privilege motion against the Chief Minister given by Dharamsala MLA Sudhir Sharma, as it was not as per the rules and there was no proof attached to it. The Opposition also objected to by Revenue Minister Jagat Singh Negi’s remarks against Thakur.

Pathania said that the Assembly was a forum to raise public issues and not to draw political mileage. “You can represent the public voice but what you say should be in the ambit of the rules and not have political motives,” he added.

He said that unedited video clippings of the MLAs’ speeches would not be released till these were cleared by the Vidhan Sabha so that such words and allegations were not carried in the media.

Pathania said, “If debate content is outside the subject matter, it will not be part of the House record. The allegations of anomalies in the Pekhubela project will not go on record, as you will have to prove and establish it. You can allege corruption but can’t say there was corruption.”

The Speaker said that whatever was stated on the floor of the House could not be challenged anywhere but it was his duty to maintain decorum in his capacity as the guardian of the Assembly. “The Constitution has given me powers and my decisions are final and not subject to any scrutiny. The House should run smoothly but allegations without proof cannot be part of the record,” he ruled.

Contemptuous charges not be allowed

Contemptuous charges made by MLAs without reference to rules will not be allowed. Indecent words, which are provocative and create tension, will not form part of the record. Kuldeep Singh Pathania, speaker