NCP, Cong members walk out of Assembly; demand discussion, setting aside House proceedings
NCP, Cong members walk out of Assembly; demand discussion, setting aside House proceedings
The arrest of NCP legislator Chhagan Bhujbal by the enforcement directorate (ED) rocked the Legislative Assembly on Tuesday with members of both the NCP and Congress terming it “vindictive politics”. They demanded a discussion by setting aside the entire proceedings of the House. However, speaker of the House Haribhau Bagde rejected the proposal, which led to chaos in the House and four adjournments. Finally, the Opposition parties walked out of the House in protest.
Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, however, defended the arrest and told the Opposition not to politicise the issue and pressurise the investigation agency through the Assembly.
After the Assembly was commenced, NCP group leader Jayant Patil raised the issue of Bhujbal and pointed out that the latter was arrested even though he was cooperating with the ED. He even targeted BJP MP Kirit Somaiya who according to him had predicted the arrest in the afternoon on the news channels.
“The people’s representative was probed for 18 hours. We condemn the arrest. Also, one MP from the ruling party was speaking to channels about the arrest and then Bhujbal was arrested. This is a deliberate conspiracy against Bhujbal and he has been framed,” Mr Patil said, demanding discussion on the issue to protect rights of the legislators. However, the speaker did not allow the discussions and finally, the Opposition members walked out of the House for the day and did not participate in the
proceedings.After the walkout, Mr Fadnavis said the discussion could not be held in the House on the issue. The ED, he said, had informed the speaker about the arrest. “The ED has been following the issue for a few months and then the arrest was carried out under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. Is it correct to pressurise the agency if it is acting as per the evidence Is it that the agency should remain silent on the corruption issue There is no vindictive politics but we will take action as per the law. One should not allow the use of the House to pressurise the agency,” he said.
Earlier, Leader of Opposition Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil also blamed the agencies and said Bhujbal was being targeted when he was ready to cooperate. The speaker was not ready to allow more discussion on the issue and hence, Congress and NCP members got into the well and shouted slogans against the government.
NCP MLA Shashikant Shinde pointed out how the government had installed CCTVs in the lobby of the Assembly to keep watch on Opposition members. But it was informed to him by the speaker that the cameras were removed.
The legislators from the ruling benches refuted the charges of vindictive politics. “A discussion on the issue cannot be held if the case under section 420,” Anil Bonde pointed out. Another BJP MLA Atul Bhatkhalkar recalled how Bhujbal when heading the home department had carried out the arrest of late Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray. “Bhujbal carried out the arrest of Balasaheb on trivial charges. Even the court had passed strictures on the issue and released Thackeray,” he said, terming it vindictive politics by the Congress-NCP.
