CHANDIGARH: The Budget session began on a noisy note on Thursday with the Congress disrupting the Governor’s address and staging a walk out, raising anti-government slogans and-dismissing the speech as “misleading”.
The Opposition, led by Congress Legislature Party leader Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, was on the offensive soon after Governor Shivraj V. Patti started his maiden address. Within less than 10 minutes of the speech, a Congress MLA started reading a parallel speech. After the protest speech was over, the Congress walked out, shouting slogans against the Parkash Singh Badal government.
Later, addressing reporters, Bhattal said: “The Congress leaders hold the Governor in the highest esteem …. we also realize the sanctity of this August House and our responsibilities to the people. However, we walked out as the Governor’s address was a bundle of lies.”
Bhattal said the party will abide by the guidelines of the High Command, which is to play a constructive role of the Opposition. “We will corner this government on issues like deteriorating law and order situation, unemployment and imposition of taxes,” said Bhattal. The CLP leader said the party will “stage walkouts” depending on the prevailing situation in the House.
The CLP has decided, Bhattal said, not to raise the issue of removing Speaker Nirmal Singh Kahlon, against whom the CBI was seeking prosecution sanction in a recruitment scam, which the government had denied. “The Speaker’s case is now sub-judice.”
SOURCE-HT
