HP: Cong stages walkout from Assembly, says not getting enough chance to speak

The party legislators alleged that they were not provided adequate opportunity to express their views on an adjournment motion moved by leader of opposition Mukesh Agnihotri. Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur, while talking to media, said, "As per my opinion, this was not walkout.

The opposition Congress staged a walkout from the state Assembly for allegedly not getting enough chance to speak during the second day of the ongoing monsoon session. The party legislators alleged that they were not provided adequate opportunity to express their views on an adjournment motion moved by leader of opposition Mukesh Agnihotri.

Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur, while talking to media, said, "As per my opinion, this was not walkout. Walkout should be on record. They just lifted their documents and came out of the House." There is a provision of discussion for two-and-a-half-hour on adjournment motion moved by the leader of opposition under Rule 67 but the discussion continued for two days, he said. It was up to the Congress party to provide its list of MLAs to the speaker who would speak on the motion. MLAs whose names were on the top of the list were given chance to speak as per availability of time, Thakur added.

Earlier participating in the discussion, Nadaun Congress legislator Sukhvinder Sukhu said the chief minister violated the norm of social distancing while participating in a 'havan yajna' organised by the BJP Mahila Morcha in Shimla a few weeks ago. Thakur replied that required distancing was maintained.

Forest minister Rakesh Pathania criticised the opposition Congress for doing politics instead of presenting a united face against the coronavirus pandemic.