‘New’ BJP govt faces aggressive Congress in Gujarat Assembly

Facing its first Assembly session, though of only 2 days, the new Bhupendra Patel government ran into a belligerent Opposition on Monday with the latter staging a walkout over the ruling BJP not allowing a condolence resolution for Covid-19 victims.

On day 1, spirited Congress members shouted slogans like “justice for the dead” and then walked out of the House. Earlier, 2 members expressed the Congress’s aggressive mood as they walked in wearing medical aprons to register their protest against the alleged mismanagement of the Covid crisis by the BJP government.

They demanded Rs4 lakh compensation should be paid to family of corona victims and not Rs50,000, which was equivalent to cattle death compensation.

Leader of Opposition Paresh Dhanani alleged over 3 lakh people died of virus in the state. The “insensitive government” had shockingly refused to even bring a resolution condoling the death of the patients in the House.

Congress MLA from Daripaur Gyasuddin Sheikh said a judicial probe should to be ordered in the Covid mismanagement. He demanded the kin of the deceased should be given jobs.

Earlier, the narcotics seizure off Gujarat coast rocked the Assembly when Dhanani alleged, “Gandhi’s Gujarat is now in the hands of the mafia.” It provoked the treasury benches to stand up and register a protest. There were verbal duels and Minister of State for Home Harsh Sanghvi claimed the state was in safe hands.

State Health Minister Rishikesh Patel said 10,820 people died of corona and the government would pay Rs50,000 compensation. Meanwhile, the first woman Speaker of the Gujarat Assembly, Dr Nimaben Acharya, presided over the session. She was escorted to her chair by CM Patel, former speaker Rajendra Patel and Leader of Opposition Paresh Dhanani.