BJP members walk out of Rajasthan Assembly

Jaipur: The opposition BJP walked out of the Rajasthan Assembly on Monday after Speaker C P Joshi passed a resolution to bar former minister Vasudev Devnani from taking part in the proceedings for the day.

As soon as the Zero Hour started, Devnani tried raising an issue when Joshi was giving a ruling.

The Speaker did not allow it and when Devnani continued, Joshi asked Parliamentary Affair Minister Shanti Dhariwal to move a proposal for his removal from the House.

The proposal was passed by voice vote following which the entire Opposition BJP walked out of the House.

Devnani was trying to raise an issue of ABVP workers allegedly being beaten up during a dharna in Jaipur, which the Speaker denied, saying he cannot allow a wrong tradition to be in the House.

However, Devnani continued speaking even as Leader of Opposition Gulab Chand Kataria did not intervene.

“I will not allow it. I will not tolerate it. Nobody can dictate me. Please go outside the House. Pass a resolution to remove him out of the House proceedings. Till I am in the chair I will ensure that the House is run according to rules,” the Speaker said.

Joshi said he has tried to give ample time to the Opposition to speak on issues in the House but he has to stop one or the other senior legislators from breaking rules.

“I will not start this tradition that Leader of Opposition is sitting and any senior legislator of Opposition heckles the Chair,” the Speaker said.

Following this, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Shanti Dhariwal moved a resolution that the way of protest adopted by the Opposition legislator is unjustified and the member should at least be barred from House proceedings for the day and his entry will be permitted only after he apologises for his behaviour.

Leader of Opposition Gulab Chand Kataria said he accepts that the legislator should not have raised his issue when the Chair was giving his ruling.

“He could have raised his issue after the Speaker”s ruling. I am accepting it. It was not a big issue. But, still you take a decision as you have a majority and we all will move out of the House,” Kataria said.

To this, the Speaker said that he was expecting the Leader of Opposition to say that the behaviour was regrettable but he did not do so.

The House later passed the resolution moved by the Parliamentary Affair Minister by voice vote following which the entire Opposition walked out of the House.