14 Opp. leaders suspended from Rajasthan House

While a BSP MLA and an Independent were suspended for a year, suspension of 12 CongressMLAs was reduced to a day after they apologised

Jaipur, April 26: High drama was seen in the Rajasthan Assembly on Wednesday where 14 opposition MLAs were barred for a year on the ground of indiscipline, but the suspension of 12 Congress members in this group was later reduced to a day following an apology.

A dozen Congress MLAs, including the party’s deputy whip Govind Singh Dotasara, a BSP legislator and an Independent were suspended for a year after a proposal moved by the ruling side chief whip Kalu Lal Gurjar was passed by voice vote.

However, after senior party leader Pradyuman Singh tendered an apology on behalf of his colleagues, the suspension period of the 12 Congress members was reduced to one day.

Mr Gurjar moved a revised proposal which too was passed. Speaker Kailash Meghwal said that a decision on the suspension of the remaining two MLAs — Independent Hanuman Beniwal and BSP’s Manoj Nyangli — will be taken later when they tender their apologies.

On the concluding day of the three-day special session convened to pass the state GST Bill 2017, there

were unruly scenes and uproar as the opposition members protested the Speaker’s decision to not allow Mr Dotasara to ask a supplementary during Question Hour.

After over 10 minutes of the uproar, during which the opposition members rushed to the well of the House, Mr Meghwal adjourned proceedings for an hour.

He also had to call in marshals who lifted and pushed the protesting MLAs out of the House.

After this, the house saw two more adjournments of half-an-hour each. When the House reassembled, the Speaker expressed his anger at the opposition members’ behaviour and said indiscipline will not be tolerated.

Mr Gurjar, then moved a proposal to suspend 14 opposition MLAs from the house for a year over indiscipline. The proposal was then passed by a voice vote.