ADITYANATH ADDRESSES MEMBERS OF BOTH HOUSES

LUCKNOW:The Uttar Pradesh assembly was adjourned for some time to facilitate members of the two houses of state legislature to sit jointly in the Vidhan Sabha hall before the end of the special session that commenced here on October 2 to mark Mahatma Gandhi’s 150th birth anniversary.

The nearly 36-hour session saw uninterrupted debate on sustainable development goals.

Minister for parliamentary affairs Suresh Khanna moved a proposal to adjourn the house in the presence of Vidhan Parishad members. The house adopted the adjournment resolution. Before adjournment, 149 members participated in the debate.

The assembly was adjourned as the Constitution provided for a joint sitting of both houses to be addressed by the governor during the legislature’s first session only.

Addressing members of both houses after the assembly was adjourned, chief minister Yogi Adityanath attacked the opposition for staying away from the session, despite the fact that they had been demanding discussion on poverty alleviation etc.

Yogi targeted the Con

gress and its leadership (without naming anyone), saying the party did not like respect or honour to any other leader except members of the Gandhi family.

He named Lal Bahadur Shastri, Sardar Patel and BR Ambedkar etc and said Congress did not like that respect was given to these leaders.

Yogi said the Congress talked about following the values of Gandhi. Was the Commonwealth scam and land scam in Gurgaon in accordance with the values of Gandhi? he asked.

Yogi expressed gratitude to the opposition members who took part in proceedings.

Yogi named all the six opposition members, including Aditi Singh of Congress and SP rebel and PSP leader Shivpal Singh Yadav and said in all seven members (from opposition) had taken part. It was not clear if he included Vidhan Parishad members too.

After the CM’s address, the assembly adopted a resolution urging the government to take effective steps on SDGs before adjourning sine die at about 10.42 pm.

This is for the first time that both the houses had uninterrupted debate for nearly 36 hours on any issue. Yogi sat in the assembly till even after midnight and addressed both the houses separately on Wednesday.