Rough start to UP session; paper balls thrown at Guv
LUCKNOW: The maiden session of the newly elected UP Assembly began on a tempestuous note today with opposition members throwing paper balls at Governor Ram Naik during his address and marshals trying to dodge them with files.
This is the first assembly session after the BJP government led by Yogi Adityanath came to power last month after a landslide victory in assembly elections
The customary address of the governor to the joint sitting of the two Houses of the state legislature was drowned in the uproar created by the opposition.
Throughout the governor’s 35-minute address, SP legislator Rajesh Yadav blew a whistle to ensure that the address is not heard. All the while, others threw paper balls, some of which hit the governor despite marshals trying their best to shield him.
Slogan-shouting opposition members trooped into the Well with banners, placards, donning caps and raising antigovernment slogans.
When the governor started reading out his address, the entire opposition comprising members of Samajwadi Party, Congress and BSP started slogan shouting against the government over the issue of law and order.
A BSP placard read “police pit rahi thano me, Yogi tere zamane me” (police getting beaten up in Yogi’s regime), “goraksha ke naam par gundai band karo” (stop hooliganism in the name of cow protection)”.
SP legislators also sought to corner the government on law and order issue.
Congress too joined the opposition with slogans like - “Kanoon vyastha dhwasth hai, sarkar bucharkhane, teen talaq me vyast hai” (law and order is in a shambles, government is busy in issues like slaughter house and triple talaq).
On their part, BJP members thumped their desks loudly whenever the governor lauded the government, adding to the prevailing chaos in the House. The governor was flanked by Dixit and Chairman of the Legislative Council Ramesh Yadav.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath was present when the governor read the 84-page address despite the bedlam.
The address is a note prepared by the government highlighting its achievements.
Indirectly blaming the previous governments for the prevailing state of affairs in Uttar Pradesh, the governor lauded the Yogi Adityanath government for its resolve to transform UP into a frontline state.
Naik said Uttar Pradesh was once a leading state, but in the past many years it has lagged behind other states.
For the first time, the proceedings were telecast live by Doordarshan.
After the BJP came to power in the state, a decision was taken to telecast live the proceedings of the House so that people could benefit.
“Sara Uttar Pradesh dekh raha hai aap ko (the entire Uttar Pradesh is watching you),” a visibly annoyed governor told the shouting members, who kept throwing papers at the podium.