BJP alleges people not allowed to take part in protest, stages walkout
BJP legislators walked out of the Assembly today claiming that the police were stopping people from taking part in its protest near the Vidhan Sabha. “In a democratic set-up, the Opposition should be allowed to speak in the House as well as outside. The police, however, are stopping people several kilometres away from the protest site. So, we are walking out of the House,” said Leader of the Opposition Jai Ram Thakur. Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said that the ‘walkout’ should not be recorded as the Opposition had left the House without any valid reason.
Thakur raised the issue during the Zero Hour and alleged that water cannons had been brought from Haryana to the protest site and intense barricading had been done there. “I spoke to the DGP and the SP in the morning and assured them that we will hold a peaceful protest. Yet, the police are stopping people from reaching the protest site,” he added.
Sukhu said the government had not issued instructions to the police to stop people from coming to the protest site. He added that the BJP was faction ridden and people owing allegiance to other groups did not take part in the protest.
