Maha Assembly adjourned after loan waiver spat
CM Vijayan said there are doubts that Shiv Sena activists at Kochi were hired by the Opposition
He was reacting to Wednesday’s act of moral policing by Sena members who beat up couples with canes
He later clarified that when a UDF member allegedly made some threatening gestures at him, he had remarked “do not threaten me... I have seen many such threats”.
Mr Vijayan also rejected the Opposition’s charge that he had also rushed to the well of the House.
Sensing the rising temperature in the house, Speaker P. Sreeramakrishnan, ordered temporary adjournment. Mumbai, March 9: The Maharashtra Assembly plunged into turmoil on Thursday after the ruling BJP and Shiv Sena members also joined the Congress-NCP opposition in demanding a loan waiver for farmers, forcing the House to be adjourned for the second day without transacting any business.
The BJP and Shiv Sena legislators also rushed to the well of the House alongwith opposition members and raised slogans seeking an immediate decision on the issue.
Leader of the Opposition, Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil (Congress), raised the issue soon after the House assembled. Amid uproar, Speaker Haribhau Bagde asked for laying of papers and took up the calling attention notices.
Mr Patil said it was not right to rush through the business when the entire House was firm on the demand for loan waiver.
Shiv Sena members raised slogans like “Shiv Sene cha ishara...Saat baara kora zalach pahije” (Land records should be free of debt) while BJP legislators shouted “Jai Bhawani”, “Jai Shivaji” and said farmers should be made debt-free.
Congress and NCP MLAs continued to chant the slogan “Karz mafi zaalich pahije” (farm loan waiver is a must). The din resulted in three adjournments of the House.
When the House re-assembled, Yogesh Sagar (BJP), who was in the Chair, urged Congress and BJP members who had climbed the Speaker’s podium to go back to their seats.
“The ruling party and the opposition are unanimous in their demand for loan waiver. It is up to the group leaders (of various parties) to deliberate on how it should be done,” he said.