Question Hour washed out in UP Assembly amid opposition uproar

The entire Question Hour was washed out in the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly Wednesday amidst uproar by the opposition Samajwadi Party and the Congress over various issues, including plight of farmers and law and order situation.

As the House assembled for the day, members of the SP and the Congress rose in their seats and tried to raise issues of public interest.

SP members, donning red caps, took out placards that read "kanoon vyastha past hai, Yogi Baba mast hai" (There is no law and order, while CM Yogi is unconcerned), "BJP terey zamaney mein, police pit rahi thaney mein" (In BJP regime policemen are being beaten up inside police stations), "kisan virodhi ye sarkar nahi chalegi" (This anti-farmers government will not run), besides other slogans.

Speaker Hriday Narain Dixit requested the members to take their respective seats so that the Question Hour could be run smoothly, but his plea went unheeded.

The speaker also said that "bringing placards inside the House is objectionable".

He later adjourned the House for 30 minutes and extended it for the entire Question Hour, till 12.20 pm.

Opposition members later claimed that the present government was unconcerned towards the plight of poor and farmers and there is no law and order in the state.

Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Ajay Kumar Lallu told reporters there is no law and order in the state.

"Police and people are beating up each other. 'Bheed Tantra' (mob system) is ruling the roost and there is no say of police. Bulandshahr violence and other such incidents expose tall claims of the BJP government," he said.

It was the second day of the brief winter session of the state legislature Wednesday.

Both the assembly and the Legislative Council were adjourned on the first day of the current session Tuesday after condoling the deaths of former chief minister N D Tiwari, BJP legislator Patel Ram Kumar Verma and Union minister Ananth Kumar.