Gandhinagar, Mar 25 (PTI) Lone Muslim MLA in the Gujarat Assembly, Imran Khedawala, has sought protection from the Speaker alleging “insulting references” were made about him by some members of BJP while referring to him as a person from a “particular community”.
Following this, Speaker Shankar Chaudhary advised all legislators to refrain from making personal references and appealed to ministers and MLAs to respect each other.
Khedawala, who represents the Jamalpur constituency in Ahmedabad city, on Monday, asked the status of a proposed over-bridge whose alignment passes through Muslim-dominated Juhapura and Sarkhej areas.
He sought information about the bridge work schedule through a supplementary question.
Minister of State Jagdish Vishwakarma replied, saying he needed Khedawala’s help in the completion of the work “as there are more than 700 non-veg lorries, shops, kiosks, more than 1,200 rickshaws, and around 11 garages of a particular community illegally encroaching the area”.
He said around six religious encroachments of “a particular community” also exist.
The minister further said Khedawala’s “unauthorised” office in Jamalpur was recently razed.
“Whenever the state government demolishes encroachments, Opposition members conspire to defame the government with political malaise. Whenever we remove encroachments, members of Congress conspire to defame the government intending to be visible on social media and TV (channels).
“When the government removes encroachments, please support it and do not prevent it,” he said.
Khedawala denied that his office was unauthorised and offered to show legal documents.
After question hour, he raised the Point of Order in the House.
“The manner in which insulting talks are being done while referring to (me) as a person from a community; Amitbhai (Amit P Shah, BJP MLA from Ellisbridge constituency) had talked in an insulting manner the other day,” he stated.
Khedawala further said that being the only Muslim MLA among the 182 legislators, he is seeking the Speaker’s protection.
“I raise issues of society and people of Gujarat within the limits of the Constitution. Such (communal) references should be avoided in the House. I feel sad,” he said.
Speaker Shankar Chaudhary advised all legislators to refrain from making personal references and requested the ministers and MLAs to respect each other.
“Being a Speaker, it is my responsibility to give protection to every member. Every member does get protection (in the Assembly) and will continue to get it. I appeal to the honourable minister not to make personal references using somebody’s name,” he said. PTI KA PD NSK
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