UP winter session: House adjourned as Oppn walks out over law and order

Pandemonium and walkout marked the inaugural day of the winter session of Uttar Pradesh Assembly on Friday.

Cornering the Akhilesh Yadav government over issues of farmers and law and order, Opposition members trooped to the well of the House and staged a walkout in protest.

After the House had assembled this morning, leader of the Opposition and senior Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) leader Swami Prasad Maurya urged the Speaker to allow discussion over law and order and sugarcane farmers' issues.

All this while, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Rashtriya Lok Dal members stormed to the well carrying placards with anti-government slogans. Later, BJP legislators sat on a dharma in the well.

Meanwhile, BSP members staged a noisy walkout when their request went unheeded.

Uttar Pradesh Parliamentary Affairs Minister Azam Khan flayed the opposition parties for allegedly wasting the time of the legislature, even going to the extent of labelling them nikamma (idle/worthless).

Speaker Mata Prasad Pandey had to adjourn the House twice amid unruly scenes. The din continued even when the House reassembled, while BJP stayed put with their sit-in.

Later, the Assembly speaker had to adjourn the house for the day after speedily conducting the legislative business.

The House would now reassemble on November 17, when the state government would present supplementary budgetary proposals of over Rs 14,000 crore to provide funding for Agra-Lucknow Expressway, Lucknow Metro Rail project and Samajwadi  Pension Scheme, among others.