Rajasthan Congress MLAs continue 'dharna', spend night in Assembly

Congress legislators continued their sit-in protest inside the Assembly and spent the night there against the suspension of six party MLAs, including Govind Singh Dotasra, following a protest in the House on Friday against a minister's remarks on former prime minister India Gandhi.

Leader of Opposition Tikaram Jully said that three ministers held talks with the senior MLAs last night but it remained inconclusive and the 'dharna' continued.

“We demand that the minister withdraw his remark. There have been precedents that words have been expunged but the government itself does not want to run the House, and therefore, the issue has been created,” Jully told reporters on Saturday.

He said that the party MLAs have been holding the 'dharna' in the House after the Speaker adjourned it on Friday after suspending six MLAs.

During the Question Hour on Friday, Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Avinash Gehlot pointed to the opposition and said, “In the 2023-24 budget also, like always, you named the scheme (on working women's hostels) after your 'Dadi' (grandmother) Indira Gandhi.”

The remark led to a heavy uproar in the House, which led to three adjournments.

Government chief whip Jogeshwar Garg moved a proposal to suspend Congress MLAs Govind Singh Dotasara, Ramkesh Meena, Amin Kagzi, Jakir Hussain, Hakam Ali and Sanjay Kumar, which was passed by voice vote.

After the proposal to suspend the six MLAs was passed, the Speaker adjourned the House till 11 am on Monday. Following the adjournment, the Congress MLAs started their sit-in in the House and spent the night there.