Uproar in Himachal Assembly over minister's remark

Congress MLAs walked into the Well of the House on Wednesday, creating an uproar after a minister made an objectionable remark against an opposition member.

The row began when Congress MLA Jagat Singh Negi criticised the BJP government at the Centre over the abrogation of the special status of Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370.

The BJP wants Kashmir but does not want Kashmiris, he said during a discussion on the Governor's address. At the end of it, Congress MLAs also staged a walk out.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Suresh Bhardwaj retaliated to Negi's comment with a remark which triggered protests and was later expunged from the record of the proceedings.

The entire opposition came to the Well, facing the Speaker's podium. There were heated exchanges between MLAs from the ruling BJP and the Congress.

Leader of Opposition Mukesh Agnihotri demanded that the minister should apologise for the remark.

The Congress members returned to their seats after Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur intervened.

He said some remarks were made in the heat of the moment. It happens only when we divert from the main issues, he added.

The government is concerned over the issues raised by opposition members and is ready to improve wherever necessary, he said.

Suresh Bhardwaj then said he had not made the controversial remark. Still if it came from my side, the word should be expunged," he said.

Replying to the debate on motion of thanks on the Governor's address, the chief minister termed the nullification of Article 370 a historic step taken by the centre under the strong leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

On Himachal Pradesh, Thakur said his government had stepped up development over the last two years, and that is why the BJP won all four seats in the state in the last Lok Sabha polls.

He mentioned welfare schemes run in the state and cited figures to claim that the law and order situation had improved.

Congress MLAs walked out, indicating they were not satisfied with the CM's reply.