Congress MLAs ride bicycles, bullock-carts to Chhattisgarh Assembly

Congress legislators reached the Chhattisgarh Legislative Assembly in bullock-carts and bicycles Wednesday to protest rising fuel prices.

Inside the House, Congress MLAs alleged that the BJP the government used the administration to stop them from entering the Assembly premises in bullock carts and on bicycles, and demanded a discussion on the issue.

The leader of Opposition TS Singhdeo, who rode a bicycle to the Assembly complex, asked why the legislators including the party's state chief Bhupesh Baghel were stopped by police at the entrance. Baghel said this was a matter of breach of privilege and the government should give a reply in the House.

Senior Congress MLA Dhanendra Sahu alleged that women legislators were made to stand under the scorching sun for hours. No law prevents MLAs from coming to the Assembly on a bicycle or in a bullock-cart, Congress MLAs said. Revenue Minister Prem Prakash Pandey said the administration was compelled to intervene to maintain law and order.

The Assembly session has been specially convened for two days for farmers' issues, but Congress members are interrupting the proceedings, he said, asking if this was not a breach of privilege. Baghel claimed that the Congress had informed the Assembly secretariat in advance that they will be reaching on bicycles and in bullock-carts.

But the whole district administration was pressed into service for stopping the Congress MLAs, he said, seeking a reply from Home Minister Ramsewak Paikra. Speaker Gaurishankar Agarwal said he had already informed the Leader of Opposition that entry passes are not issued to bullock-carts. Due to the ensuing commotion, the Speaker had to suspend the proceedings for ten minutes.