TUMULTUOUS SCENES IN HOUSE

SHIMLA : The assembly session on Monday witnessed the opposition Congress staging a walkout over lathicharge by police on youth Congress activists on Friday during a protest.

As the House assembled, BJP legislator Rakesh Pathania pointed towards pictures published in newspapers that showed a woman with injuries on her head. He claimed that the pictures were of a protest in Rajasthan but a newspaper published it as Friday’s protest photos from Himachal.

Congress legislature Mukesh Agnihotri countered Pathania’s claims, saying that the government used force to suppress the youth Congress’ agitation on Friday near Vidhan Sabha.

To substantiate his claim, Agnihotri also showed pictures of protesting youth Congress activists and said the government had tried to deprive the Congress from raising its voice in the Vidhan Sabha. Following this, Congress legislators resorted to sloganeering and later trooped to the well of the House.

A total pandemonium prevailed in the House.

Speaker Rajiv Bindal adjourned the House amidst the ruckus for 15 minutes. Bindal told the House that he had received notices under rule 67 from four opposition members, including CLP leader Mukesh Agnihotri, state Congress president Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu , senior legislator Asha Kumari and former deputy speaker Jagat Singh Negi.

Agnihotri charged that the police resorted to “unprovoked lathicharge and use of water cannons on youth Congress activists”.

He said that the ruling members had tried to prevent the opposition from raising its voice. However, he was interrupted by legislator Rakesh Pathania.