Mock assembly: Oppn members to get notices

Speaker says the MLAs’ action was unfortunate

The opposition members, who have been boycotting the state assembly proceedings, will soon be given notices to explain the ‘unavoidable’ circumstances that led to their move of running a parallel assembly in the central hall of the Vidhan Sabha here on Monday.

State assembly speaker Hridaya Narain Dixit on Wednesday said: “The opposition’s move to run a parallel house is unfortunate. The law of natural justice requires hearing the opposition’s point as well… We will issue notices to those who ran a parallel house to know why they resorted to this step.”

The speaker put forth this view when some members from the treasury benches demanded that the opposition’s act be condemned and action be taken against its members for running a parallel house.

Manish Asija, a BJP member, raised the issue, saying the opposition members stayed away from the proceedings even when the house was mourning the death of its member Mathura Prasad Pal on Monday. He said the opposition’s act was an issue of concern and must be condemned.

He said an opposition member had even acted as the speaker of the mock assembly. There was no justification for having an opposition member as the speaker when the house had its own speaker, said Ashija. Another BJP member Mayankeshwar Sharan Singh, along with some others, said senior members of opposition were present at the parallel house and punitive action should be taken against them.

Minister for parliamentary affairs Suresh Khanna said the Opposition had many options to express their anguish in the house.