MLAs evicted from Uttar Pradesh Assembly

The Uttar Pradesh Assembly on Tuesday created and broke parliamentary traditions, forcing the Speaker to order the eviction of protesting Opposition members.

On a resolution tabled by parliamentary affairs minister Mohammed Azam Khan, and passed by voice vote, BJP and BSP legislators were marshalled out of the House while some had to be physically evicted.

Perhaps for the first time, the Question Hour was held in the absence of the entire Opposition and the state government gave its statements on the questions.

The Zero Hour was preponed to the Question Hour through a resolution, and the day’s agenda was finished in minutes.

Trouble started brewing before the House assembled on Tuesday, and BJP, BSP Congress, RLD, Apna Dal legislators barged into the well of the House even before the Speaker’s arrival.

Peace Party MLA Ayub stood on his seat and held aloft a banner that demanded the arrest of BJP MP Yogi Adityanath.

The BSP legislators wore caps and carried placards with slogans against the state government on non-payment of cane dues to the “deteriorating law and order situation”, prevailing power crisis, and atrocities on Muslims and Dalits.

Mr Khan termed their behaviour as “unprecedented” and said that barging into the House before the House had been convened was against the parliamentary traditions.

As the legislators were being marshalled out, the BSP MLAs resisted and one allegedly hit a guard, following which Mr Khan moved a resolution, condemning the MLAs’ behaviour.

“They are communalising the situation, and vitiating the atmosphere of the state. BSP men are doing all this for cheap media publicity. Instead of pointing banners toward us, they are showing it to media, which explains their intentions,” the minister said, adding the elements (read BJP) were responsible for Muzaffarnagar and Dadri too.

The Congress and RLD MLA members, meanwhile, returned to their seats.

BSP and BJP legislators sat on dharna in the gallery outside and exchanged slogans against the government, and against each other.

The BJP members shouted “Bua-bhatije ki sarkar, nahin chalegi, nahin chalegi’ while the BSP members retaliated with ‘Har Har Modi ki sarkar, nahin chalegi, nahin chalegi”.

Chanting in unison, both the parties shouted “Chacha–bhatije ki sarkar nahin chalegi nahin chalegi”.

The drama continued for over 90 minutes till the House was finally adjourned for the day.