Ruckus in Himachal assembly over BJP, Youth Congress clash

Shimla, March 12: The Himachal Pradesh assembly on Thursday witnessed ruckus over permission to allow debate on the clash between the BJP and Youth Congress activists in January in Shimla over the central government’s land acquisition ordince. As the house assembled in the morning, BJP members Suresh Bhardwaj, Rajeev Bindal and Ravinder Ravi enquired about the fate of their notices on adjournment motion. They said Youth Congress activists, led by chief minister’s son Vikramaditya Singh, during a demonstration attacked the Bharatiya Jata Party’s office. One of the BJP activists lost his eye in the attack.

“It’s a serious issue and we want a debate on it under Rule 67,” Shimla legislator Bhardwaj said. Former ministers Bindal and Ravi also insisted that the issue should be discussed. Amid the ruckus, Virbhadra Singh found a unique way of jeering at the rivals. He literally swayed his hips in the assembly in a movement of dance to the rhythms of slogans being raised against him.

Speaker B.B. Butail, rejecting the notice for the adjournment motion, said without permission of the chair nothing would go on record. This agitated the opposition members and they started raising slogans against the government. The question hour and house proceedings, however, continued in the midst of the ruckus. The opposition later staged a walkout. Clarifying the issue, Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh said it was unfortute that the opposition tried to raise the issue without taking the permission of the speaker.

“They are just trying to get a political mileage. There were countrywide protests by the Youth Congress against the land acquisition ordince, which was against the interests of the farmers. In Himachal, too there was a protest,” he said.

“The Youth Congress chief (Vikramaditya Singh), who showed decency, had informed Leader of Opposition Prem Kumar Dhumal about their proposed protest outside the BJP’s office. I think the Youth Congress chief has made a mistake by forewarning them. RSS and BJP workers got themselves prepared (before the clash),” he said. “Nobody (Youth Congress activists) entered the BJP office. In stone pelting, it was unfortute that one of the BJP activists lost his eye. Our activists were also injured,” the chief minister said.

He said the government conducted the magisterial inquiry and it was the BJP which boycotted it. “Their intentions are not honest. If you want to fight a political battle, fight it outside,” Virbhadra Singh added. Soon after the chief minister’s reply, the BJP rushed into the house.

BJP leader and two-time chief minister Prem Kumar Dhumal clarified that he got the call from Vikramaditya about the protest when the Youth Congress activists were about to reach the BJP’s office. “At that time, I advised Vikramaditya not to stage the protest in front of the party’s office as it will set a bad precedent,” he said. Dhumal again pleaded the speaker to allow the adjournment motion, which he said was rarely accepted in the house. (ians)