It's time Jai Ram Thakur comes out of aura of being a CM; not puppets that we will take orders from BJP: Congress

Tribune News Service

Pratibha Chauhan

Shimla, March 16

Stalemate over the issue of closure of institutions opened by previous regime continued on Thursday as the BJP and the Congress legislators engaged in counter sloganeering outside the Chief Minister’s office, before the session began.

The BJP, which had stalled the assembly proceedings on Wednesday demanding a debate on de-notification of institutions by its previous regime, continued its protest over it on Thursday as well.

The BJP legislators led by former chief minister Jai Ram Thakur came to the Vidhan Sabha, holding a chain, indicating locking of institutions opened by his regime.

The opposition members then sat outside the CM office within the assembly complex, raising slogans.

However, Congress MLAs countered the BJP legislators by raising counter slogans.

The opposition continued its protest against the de-notification of institutions inside the House as they stalled the proceedings by raising slogans and holding placards against its closure.

Speaker Kuldeep Pathania ordered the taking up of question hour amidst the pandemonium.

The BJP staged a walkout from the assembly stating that they were dissatisfied with the CM’s reply on the debate held.

Jai Ram Thakur accused the government of trying to crush the voice of the opposition. The BJP MLAs were not allowed to meet the CM and on the contrary ruling party MLAs indulged in “goondaism”.

Meanwhile, the House adopted a resolution condemning the opposition behaviour. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Harshwardhan Chauhan said: “The sole motive of the BJP was to make it to the headlines.”

“I personally requested the former CM and MLAs that they are respectable elected members and must not sit on the floor. I requested them to come inside and meet the CM, but they insisted on raising slogans as their sole objective is to make headlines.”

Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri also condemned the BJP MLAs behaviour. “It is high time that Jai Ram Thakur comes out of the aura of being a CM. We are not puppets that we will take orders from them,” said Mukesh.

Chief Minister Sukhivinder Singh Sukhu also condemned the behaviour of BJP MLAs. “I accuse Leader of Opposition of lying by stating that they were not allowed to meet me. In fact, I walked past them and in fact their two MLAs entered the house with me,” said Sukhu.

The CM said the BJP was issueless as they have been exposed on the issue of misuse of government funds by opening institutions without any staff or budgetary provision.

The CM said his government would look into the decisions taken by the BJP ministers to see how norms were flouted,” he said.

Sukhu said he had already assured that institutions, which are need based, would be made functional.

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