Himachal Deputy Speaker, MLA Vikramaditya engage in verbal spat

Tribune News Service

Shimla, March 2

There were acrimonious exchanges between Deputy Speaker Hans Raj and Shimla (Rural) MLA Vikramaditya Singh in the Vidhan Sabha today even as some MLAs intervened to prevent the situation from turning ugly.

Everyone was taken by surprise when Vikramaditya, son of former Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, walked towards the well of the House while the opposition MLAs were raising slogans when the Speaker allowed the Deputy Speaker to speak. As he reached where Hans Raj was sitting, the two got engaged in heated exchanges.

As the duo hurled derogatory remarks at each other, nothing could be heard in the din. Some Congress MLAs, including Sukhu, intervened and took Vikramaditya back before the situation could turn ugly. An agitated Chief Minister condemned Vikramaditya’s behaviour. “Your behaviour is highly objectionable and raising your voice will not hide your wrongdoing,” he said. He added that when the Congress had been given an opportunity to raise the point of order, even the Deputy Speaker had the right to speak.

Thakur said it was the prerogative of the Governor to read whatever number of pages of his Address he wished to. “What could the Deputy Speaker do when the Congress did not spare even the Governor. Even Sukhu had admitted that what happened with the Governor was wrong, so the Congress must apologise for its shameful beahviour,” he added.

“It appears that it is a Congress culture to indulge in violence, as they had thrown stones outside the Vidhan Sabha and the BJP office,” he said. He asked the Congress to apologise to the Governor as his entire Cabinet had already done.

Thakur said that it appeared that the Congress MLAs were perturbed at the manner in which their party was being wiped out in the entire country. “I feel the Congress does not believe in democracy as its MLAs’ actions are highly condemnable and against the high traditions of this august House,” he added.

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