Vaghela meets Speaker to raise issue of struck down questions

Leader of Opposition in the Gujarat assembly Shankersinh Vaghela met Speaker Vaju Vala today and took up the matter of six written down questions submitted by Congress MLAs which were struck down, since the answers could embarrass the BJP-led government.

Vaghela met the speaker after the Congress MLAs were suspended from the house earlier during the day, according to a press release issued by the Congress.

Vaghela claimed that questions raised by six Congress MLAs, which were accepted by the BJP-led Gujarat government earlier, were later removed from the list of questions to be discussed during the assembly session.

These include a question about grants alloted to tribals in Dahod, which was struck down claiming that it touches more than one departments.

The second question was about pending cases in Ahmedabad courts by Congress MLA Gyasuddin Shaikh, which was removed claiming that the information could not be collected within the prescribed time limit.

The third question which was raised by Congress MLA Anand Chaudhari about caste certificates issued to tribal children in Surat, was removed by the Gujarat government claiming that it touched two different departments.

The fourth question was raised by Congress MLA Punja Vansh sought details about a police complaint regarding theft of minerals in Gir-Gadhda, was removed claiming that it is a "court matter".

The fifth question raised by Tejashree Patel about the J B Sheth Commission on Muslim polarisation was removed claiming that its a "semi-judicial matter".

The sixth question pertaining to number of boats of Gujarati fishermen in the custody of Pakistan, which was raised by MLA Dharmendrasinh Jadeja, was allegedly claiming that the time period is too long, the release said.

Meanwhile, all Congress MLAs present in Gujarat Assembly, except two, were today suspended for a day after they disrupted proceedings while protesting inside the House alleging removal of their questions from the list.

On July 2 too, all party legislators, except two, were suspended for a day after they stalled proceedings while demanding a special discussion on situation arising out of delayed rains.