NE NEWS SERVICE
JAIPUR, AUG 24
Deputy Leader of Opposition Rajendra Rathore was on Monday briefly barred from taking part in the proceedings of the Rajasthan Assembly after he got into a heated argument with Speaker C P Joshi.
At the Speaker’s request, the House approved by voice vote a proposal for Rathore’s removal for the remainder of the session. However, the House withdrew the motion later in the day after the BJP legislator expressed regret over his behaviour.
The House was adjourned sine die in the evening after passing 13 Bills.
Rathore had argued with the Speaker complaining that Opposition members were not allowed enough time to speak on the Bills.
BJP members had also trooped into the Well of the House, shouting slogans. Amid the din, the House was briefly adjourned four times.
During the discussion on the Rajasthan Rehabilitation of Beggars or Indigents (Amendment) Bill, 2020, the Speaker asked BJP MLA Madan Dilawar to confine himself to the Bill, saying it was not a general debate.
When BJP MLA Kiran Maheshwari was also asked to stick to the Bill, Rathore intervened, asking the Speaker to let the members speak.
The Speaker then asked Opposition members to return to their seats. When Rathore challenged the Chair, the Speaker asked Parliamentary Affair Minister Shanti Dhariwal to move a proposal for his removal from the House.
Opposition members continued their protest and squatted in the Well of the House even after the Congress-dominated House passed the motion.
The Speaker then suggested that Rathore should leave the House for two minutes and he will ask the ruling party to move another proposal to bring him back. But the BJP MLAs continued with the protest.
Leader of Opposition Gulab Chand Kataria said the MLAs had no intention of violating the Speaker’s ruling, but they had not been given any time to examine the five Bills introduced by the government on Monday.
“No member has studied them, how can they be discussed?” he said. The Opposition then staged a walkout.
While the Opposition members were not present in the House, Speaker CP Joshi said the Question Hour had to be cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
He said other state assemblies too had followed the same practice during the pandemic.
Joshi said another session can be called when the situation improves.
He added it was distressing that the Opposition did not take part in the discussions.
On the Speaker’s directions, the parliamentary affairs minister moved another proposal withdrawing the earlier resolution against Rathore. This too was passed by voice vote.
Earlier, the opposition boycotted the Business Advisory Committee meeting over the government decision to bring new Bills.
The government had introduced eight Bills on Friday and added five more on Monday. All were passed on Monday.
After passing the Bills, the House was adjourned sine die.
The House had three sittings during the brief session. Its main agenda was the confidence vote brought by the Ashok Gehlot government after the patch-up with Congress dissidents led by Sachin Pilot.
