Amarsinh suspended for entire session


Gujarat legislative assembly witnessed an unprecedented event as the leader of the Opposition Amarsinh Chaudhary was suspended for the prevailing session for contempt of the ruling of the Speaker.All the Congress MLAs except Urvashi Devi were suspended for the remaining session for the pandemonium raised by them outside the House by ransacking the Speaker and the chief minister’s office.

Following repetitive allegations by the leader of the Opposition indiciting the BJP ministers and MLAs of bungling and misappropriating with the quake relief, the deputy speaker Upendra Trivedi, on Wednesday had demanded an apology from him. However Amarsinh Chaudhary did not relent and the treasury benches, after a ruling from the Speaker, brought a motion seeking the suspension of Mr.Chaudhary, which was passed by majority voice vote. Seven other MLAs including, Subhash Shelat, Naresh Rawal, Udeysinh Baria, Laxmansinh Parmar, Ibrahim Mundra, Khuinansinh Bhamat were suspended from the party for the remaining session after they created a pandemonium in protest against the suspension of their leader in the House. It was learnt that all the Congress MLAs were suspended for the remaining session for the uproar raised by them in the Vidhansabha complex.

The House was adjourned more than nine times during the course of the day, as the-Congress finally staged a walkout after the motion seeking the suspension of eight Congress MLAs was passed. In an apparent role reversal, the members of the ruling party stalled the proceedings as the session began or the day on Thursday morn-ring, with their demands of apology by the leader of the Opposition. Chants of Lakdachor mafi mango, did not allow the session to proceed.

The Speaker was compelled to adjourn the House repeatedly. When the House met after the seventh adjournment of the day, speaker Dhirubhai Shah addressed the House, on the legal point in the point of order raised by the parliamentary affairs minister Suresh Mehta that called for an apology by Mr. Chaudhary as per the order by the Speaker.

Mr Shah also highlighted the argument furthered by Mr. Chaudhary, that the latter’s remarks must not be considered as a part of the extended time in the session, and the House according to him had adjourned for the day. So the demand of apology by the Speaker was invalid.

The Speaker cited the rule books and held that the extended time of the session on Wednesday, when the Congress leader had made the allegations must be considered as a "part of the session," and allowed the treasury to place a motion for the suspension of the Congress leader. Suresh Mehta placed demanded the suspension of Amarsinh Chaudhary for the remaining session, which was backed by finance minister Vaju Vain and passed by the House.

A dejected Chaudhary walked out of the House saying, Aaap apni chaati par haath muki vichar karjo.( Think from your heart).

Congress MLAs made a vehement protest following the suspension of Mr. Chaudhary, which brought eighth adjournment to the House, When the House resumed after 10 minutes, BJP MLA Ashok Bhatt demanded the suspension of Congress MLAs, which was passed by a voice vote. Then the Congress MLAs intensified their protest and started shouting slogans and tried to gherao the deputy speaker. The enraged MLAs flung files, books and papers at the speaker.

However, the security personnel restrained them. Several Congress MLAs like Shailesh Parmar climbed the benches in protest and took out the microphones. However, these protestors were ousted from the House, followed by a walk out from the Congress.

The House then continued with its business. During the morning session, Mr. Mehta said disciplinary powers of the Speaker in case of disregard of orders is very clear The member can be suspended I or breach of orders for a period of three weeks. "1 demand the suspension of Mr. Chaudhary for the entire session," Mr. Mehta said. Meanwhile, jails minister Jaspal Singh said any ruling suspending the leader of the Opposition for the entire session will be unprecedented in the history of parliamentary and Assembly rulings.

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Republished from Asian Age