Guwahati, Feb 16 (PTI) The Budget session of the Assam Assembly got off to an uproarious start on Monday as opposition members protested during the governor’s speech, storming into the Well of the House and raising slogans.
The opposition MLAs created noisy scenes for almost the entire length of the 40-minute speech delivered by Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya.
They tried to hurl copies of the speech towards the podium, but the booklets were promptly taken away by the marshals, engaged in security of the House.
In the last session of the assembly under this government before the election, the vote-on-account will be presented on Tuesday.
As the governor elaborated on development work under the current regime, five minutes into his speech, Congress, AIUDF, CPI(M) and the lone Independent MLA trooped into the Well of the House to register their protest.
Leader of Opposition Debabrata Saikia led the MLAs, with his Congress colleagues carrying the copies of the speech in their hands.
AIUDF MLAs marched into the Well with placards which had photos of a recent controversial purported video of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.
While the opposition MLAs created noisy scenes, the governor continued with his speech, punctuated by the thumping of desks by treasury benches in acknowledgement of the mention of developmental activities under the current regime.
Speaker Biswajit Daimary, who was sitting beside the governor as he read out his speech, tried to pacify the MLAs and urged them to return to their seats, but to no avail.
Initially displaying the copies of the speech, a section of the opposition MLAs later tried to hurl those towards the governor’s podium.
The marshals seized the copies and also snatched away other placards and papers being displayed by the MLAs.
Over 20 security personnel, including the marshals, were engaged in cordoning off the more than 30 opposition members as they remained in the Well for the entire duration of the speech.
The opposition members raised slogans against the controversial video purportedly featuring the CM and demanding justice for popular singer Zubeen Garg, who died in Singapore on September 19 last year.
All the MLAs squatted on the floor for sometime as they continued to raise slogans, with the AIUDF legislators remaining seated on the carpet till the end of the speech, while the rest of the opposition members again got on their feet and protested in front of the podium.
Acharya, in his speech, dwelt on the developmental activities and welfare measures of the government and highlighted the achievements over the last five years. PTI SSG SSG ACD
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