Bouquets, brickbats for ‘rebel’ MLAs, embarrassing moments for govt
LUCKNOW: There were both bouquets and brickbats for the rebel MLAs who, defying their party directives, attended the special session of the UP assembly to mark the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.
When rebel BSP MLA Mohammad Aslam Raini arrived in the assembly, the BJP lawmakers welcomed him by banging their hands on the table. Several of ruling party MLAs was seen applauding him as he arrived to take a seat in the opposition benches. Speaker Hriday Narayan Dikshit told Raini that he was welcome ‘like a hero’.
Raini praised chief minister Yogi Adityanath for assisting poor patients infected with serious diseases from CM’s discretionary fund.
“A large number of poor people across the state are benefiting from the CM’s fund. The poor people have been allotted houses under state government housing schemes. Muslims are also benefiting under the scheme. A large numbers of girls belonging to the minority community have been given financial assistance under the scheme run by the Social Welfare Department,” he said.
When Raini said he wished to highlight several achievements of the state government, but the BJP MLAs might take it otherwise that he was indulging in ‘sweet talk’ for personal gains, the speaker encouraged him to speak, quoting a couplet from the classic movie Mughal-e-Azam: ‘Jab pyar kiya to darna kya’.
The BJP lawmakers clapped for Raini when he praised the state government. Soon the glee on the face of the ruling party MLAs gave way to anxiety when he started criticizing the government. The roads in my district, Shravasti, are full of potholes, at some spots there are as big as three feet deep ditches on the roads, he said.
When he demanded withdrawal of cases against SP MP from Rampur Azam Khan, the BJP MLAs started hooting against him.
Some BJP MLAs stood up and started shouting at him. They said he was acting as an agent of the SP MP, but undeterred with the onslaught, Raini said the withdrawal of the cases against Khan will send a good message to the opposition and people across the state.
He further said the land mafiosi are active in the state and they have grabbed his land in Bahraich and Barabanki. He urged the government to provide relief to the people from land grabbers.
After Raini, Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party (Lohia) chief Shivpal Yadav started his speech by praising Yogi’s initiative for launching industrialization and plantation drive in the state.
Yogi was present in the house when Shivpal and Raini were delivering their speech.
Shivpal said “corruption had increased in the police department, the common people are harassed, their FIRs are not being registered in the police stations. He recounted two incidents in Etawah and Firozabad where two girls were kidnapped and raped. The police officers demanded money for registration of the case and release of the victims.”
The BJP MLAs were seen reminding Shivpal of the deterioration in law and order when SP government was in power. But he refused to relent and said the canal and tube-wells were running dry in west UP. The erratic power supply in the rural areas had added to the woes of the farmers, he said. The speaker then urged Shivpal to complete his speech as other members wanted to express their views.
Rebel Congress MLA from Rae Bareli Rakesh Singh said Yogi had launched several schemes for the welfare of the poor. He said a law should be framed to ensure that all MLAs are present when the house was in session.
Singh said, along with the officers, the chief minister should give more time to hear the pleas of the people’s representatives.