UP Budget Session: Oppn members hurl paper balls during Guv's speech

Opposition members hurled paper balls towards the podium and raised slogans as Uttar Pradesh Governor Ram Naik addressed a joint sitting of the state legislature on the Budget Session's first day on Tuesday.

In his about 55-minute speech, the governor highlighted the welfare and development schemes of the state government, and also justified the renaming of Allahabad and Faizabad districts, saying, "my government has restored their cultural names."

Opposition members, including

those from the Samajwadi Party (SP), the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and the Congress, started raising slogans against the government and shouted 'rajyapal wapas Jao (Governor Go Back)' as soon as Naik began addressing the state legislature, reports PTI.

SP members hurled paper balls at the podium, but Naik continued to address the House, with staff using cardboard files to deflect the paper balls.

Speaking to reporters at the Central Hall of the House, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath condemned the behaviour of the opposition leaders and termed it "undemocratic" and

"unparliamentary".

During the uproar, Subhash Pasi of SP, who was standing on a chair, fell and fainted after which he was rushed to a hospital.

In red, blue and white caps, members of the SP, BSP and other opposition parties also held placards reading, "gathbandhan se ghabraye hain; CBI, ED laye hain" (afraid of an alliance, they have unleashed CBI and ED), "jhoothey vaade band karo, mukhya mantri sharm karo" (stop making false promises, CM should be ashamed) and "khet bachao saando sey, desh bachao choron sey" (save fields from bulls and the country from thieves).