UP Budget session gets off to stormy start

As soon as the Assembly met for the day, members belonging to the Samajwadi Party, the Congress and the BSP made loud protests over crime across the state and displayed banners and posters in the Well, much to the chagrin of Speaker Hriday Narain Dixit.

Alleging that the law and order situation was poor, SP members displayed placards which read "Jhooth kapat ki ye sarkar," (This is government of lies) and "Kisan virodhi ye sarkar..."(This government is anti-farmer).

Congress members raised the killing of five persons in Raebareli and alleged rise in corruption and rape cases in the present regime.

Adding to the prevailing commotion, BSP members showed placards on atrocities against women. One of the placards alleged that the present government was "anti-minority".

As SP members squatted in the well of the House, the Speaker asked them to return to their seats.

"If you have anything to say, you go back to your seats and don't waste the precious time of the House. Twenty-two crore people of the state are watching (live proceedings on television)," the Speaker said.

But his repeated pleas went unheeded and he adjourned the House for ten minutes, which he extended by another ten minutes as the frayed tempers did not cool down.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Suresh Kumar Khanna said the entire opposition "was discarded by the people of the state due to their deeds. They did not have any issue to raise here. They are just trying to hog media limelight".

The Speaker said the way in which opposition members were showing placards was not allowed.

"Do you want us to start the tradition of frisking members before entering the House," an exasperated Dixit asked the opposition members.

As Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath arrived in the House and made a reference to the Amarnath terror attack, the opposition members returned to their seats.

Similar was the scene in the Upper House where opposition members trooped into the Well with placards carrying anti-government slogans.

Amidst slogan-shouting by the opposition members, Chairman Legislative Council Ramesh Yadav adjourned the House for 20 minutes and later for entire Question Hour till 12.15 pm.

Later, amidst disruption, Deputy Chief Minister Dinesh Sharma presented the state budget even as opposition members threw paper balls and rockets at the podium.

The opposition members were protesting, saying they were not given the budget copies.

SP, BSP, Congress and some other members jumped into the Well of the House again with placards, saying "If you want to live in UP, you have to tolerate Hindu Yuva Vahini".

The deputy CM could not be heard in the din even as some members flung paper balls and rockets at the podium, giving tough time to marshals.

Two members rushed towards the Chairman, but marshals prevented them.

Amidst slogan shouting, Chairman Yadav asked Deputy CM to conclude his speech by reading the last page.

After about 35 minutes of uproar, Sharma read the last page and completed the speech without reading the entire text because of opposition's protest.

Lone RLD member Mushtaq Ali walked out of the House before the budget was presented, terming the state government as anti-farmer.

Expelled BSP leader Naseemuddin sat on the last bench of the House and neither protested nor supported the budget.