Pandemonium in UP Assembly over opposition charges

The Uttar Pradesh Assembly on Tuesday witnessed uproarious scenes as a united opposition took on the BJP government, accusing it of fomenting communal passions in the state and failing to control law and order.

As soon as the House convened, members of the Samajwadi Party (SP), Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and the Congress walked into the well of the House, raising anti-government slogans.

Carrying placards and posters, they called the Yogi Adityanath government "dange wali sarkaar" (rioting government) and slammed it for withdrawing a case of rioting against the Chief Minister.

Leader of the Opposition Ram Govind Chowdhary asked how can a government, whose head is accused of rioting himself, control riots and law and order in the state. The opposition legislators later walked out of the House.

Responding to the charges, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Suresh Khanna said there were many communal riots and clashes during the predecessor Samajwadi Party (SP) government headed by Akhilesh Yadav and that in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) rule, so far there have been no such incidents.

He claimed the present government has ensured that the criminals are in jail and that the law and order situation in under the Samajwadi Party rule was very bad.

Before this, as the House resumed tributes were paid to former Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee and late Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu M. Karunanidhi.

There was pandemonium in the Legislative Council as well.

--IANS

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