BJP walks out of Himachal assembly over corruption

The first day of the Himachal Pradesh assembly's winter session began on a stormy note on Monday with the main opposition BJP staging a walkout, demanding discussion on registration of a disproportionate assets case against Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh.

Immediately after the obituary references, the opposition demanded an adjournment motion for discussing the issue related to cases filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the CBI against the chief minister.

"It's the first time in the history of Himachal Pradesh that an FIR (first information report) is filed against a sitting chief minister," BJP member Ravinder Ravi said, as the five-day winter session began in this town, some 250 km from state capital Shimla.

Justifying the BJP's demand, former minister Rajeev Bindal said the ED and the CBI raided Virbhadra Singh's premises.

He urged Speaker B.B.L. Butail to allow the adjournment motion and discuss the issue on which the BJP legislature party had given notice.

However, Butail refused the discussion, stating that the matter was sub-judice.

When the speaker disallowed the adjournment motion and discussion, the BJP members started raising slogans.

As the speaker proceeded with the business listed for the day, the BJP lawmakers staged a walkout from the house.

After the walkout, the house continued with the business.

Later talking to reporters, the chief minister said the BJP always makes a strategy so that the house does not run smoothly.

"It's a clear misuse of members' rights," he said, adding that the proceedings in the house will continue despite the opposition boycott.

He said he had not done anything wrong and the matter was pending in court.

He said it was a conspiracy hatched by former chief minister Prem Kumar Dhumal and his son Anurag Thakur, BJP Lok Sabha member from Hamirpur.